Product Description

This comprehensive reference describes plants native to the Pacific Northwest—the ferns and conifers; annuals, perennials, and grasses; and flowering trees and shrubs that populate and define this distinctive region. Featured are some 530 subject species that occur naturally from southwestern Alaska to Oregon's border with California, and from the coast east to Idaho, plants that are not only beautiful ornamentals but important components of habitat diversity.

Illustrated throughout with nearly 600 eye-popping color photographs and original pen-and-ink drawings, the book is smartly separated by plant type into five encyclopedic sections. Detailed descriptions include reommendations for cultivation and siting, from streambanks to parking strips, and lists suggesting natives for particular garden situations or themes—arid or sodden; hedgerows and meadows; hummingbird and rock gardens—concludes the book.

Gardeners and conservationists alike will find much of value and interest in this impeccably presented and illustrated regional resource, which is sure to become a classic on the subject.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #92303 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 532 pages

From Booklist
Gardening with native plants is growing across the country. The authors included 530 species found in the Pacific Northwest, from California to Alaska and inland to Idaho. Many of these species (or similar ones) are also found in other parts of North America, where they may be native or were introduced. The authors emphasize that they are only including plants native to the region though the climate has favored garden escapees and introduced species that became naturalized “wildflowers.” This is not a field guide but a set of notes for the gardener, landscape designer, or land manager who may be selecting plants for specific settings or habitats or to produce a particular artistic effect.  The entries are divided into five categories (ferns, conifers, annuals, perennials, and shrubs and trees) and include scientific and common names, hardiness zones, descriptions, cultivation and propagation tips, native range(s) in the Northwest, and, frequently, notes about the plant. Entries are accompanied by color photographs and, in some cases, drawings. With all its differences in elevation, moisture, temperature gradients, and aspects, the Pacific Northwest requires a complex climate-zone map, found in the introductory section along with remarks on the ecosystems. In addition to the individual descriptions, there are lists of suggested plants for drought tolerance, shade, meadows, rock gardens, hummingbirds, sandy areas, erosion control, and other specific situations and purposes. This large, handsome, easy-to-use reference book is recommended for libraries in the region or serving patrons interested in native plant gardening. --Linda Scarth

Review
"Whether looking to create a low-maintenance garden that requires little water in summer or to create a haven to attract birds, butterflies, and other native animals, gardeners and conservationists will find much value and interest in this impeccably presented publication." Library Journal (Library Journal )

"Whether looking to create a low-maintenance garden that requires little water in summer or to create a haven to attract birds, butterflies, and other native animals, gardeners and conservationists will find much value and interest in this impeccably presented publication." Library Journal (Library Journal )

Review
"Loaded with good suggestions on how best to use natives in our gardens." Valerie Easton, Seattle Times

Customer Reviews

A gorgeous book to make you dream of what could be.
The layout and format are excellent. I especially appreciate that the pictures are on the same page as the relevant text. (Books that make me turn to page 437 for the picture annoy me.) You won't be taking this book along in your backpack as you hike in the wilderness, due to its size and weight, but that's what Pojar and Mackinnon's Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska is for. You'll keep this book at home near your garden, and the wealth of pictures will help you dream and plan about the beautiful natives you could have in your garden.

The descriptions feature recommendations for locations within your garden, helping you put the right plant in the right place. With large native evergreens, this is the absolute critical step, as many a cute little fir has grown up to menace the neighborhood. This book is similar to Kruckeberg's Gardening With Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest but with ten times as many plants to choose from.

The book is not as complete as Hitchcock's Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual, but it is much more user friendly. You could spend a lifetime trying to fit every plant in this encyclopedia into your garden, and you would be kept happily busy.

Any northwest gardener with the slightest interest in gardening with natives will want to add this book to his or her shelf.

Excellent reference!
I've been growing NW natives for 25 years with successes and failures (and a lot of fun). With this book, I would have had many fewer failures! I've pulled it out a dozen times already this season and it's never failed me. Excellent photos, descriptions, and propagation instructions. It looks like a tea-table treasure, but it performs like a combination field guide and cultivation handbook. Highly recommended.

This is THE one book to have
This is the best book on NW natives I've found. Great pictures, descriptions and very complete. If I could only have one native plant book this'd be the one. Worth the pirce