Customer Reviews

A Guide to the Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky (Kentucky Nature Studies)

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4 star:		(2)
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This is a very good book showing many of the native wildflowers in the state of Kentucky. The pictures are very good and the plant information and descriptions are excellent. There are a few photos that are not ideal for identifying some species and the book arrangement is somewhat clumsy if this book is used as a field guide. It would have been better if the flowers were arranged by color. Other than that, this is a great book and a popular pick of my students when they have to identify native species for a wildflower collection.

Not only is this book an excellent source for identifying Kentucky wildflowers, it is an excellent source for identifying wildflowers, ferns, etc., for the Central Basin and Smoky Mountains in Tennessee as well.

This is a very good book for plant enthusiasts living in and around Kentucky. It is a classic in the field. Very useful and well written.

I loved using this book. It was excellent in helping me identify wildflowers for my collection in my botany class. The pictures are great. Some a little hard to determine, but the descriptions included helps guide you in the right direction. I would recommend this book to anyone in the Kentucky area studying wildflowers.

My wife Brenda and I have used this book numerous times at our place in Kentucky and during our hikes in the Smokies. Even though the title specifies Kentucky we found the book very useful in Tennessee during our romps in the Great Smokey Mountains. A Notable feature that is very handy is the "roomy look" of the layout. There is copious amount of white space on every page. We used that to make notes and scribbles. Now when I turn to any page I recall the spring or fall at Clingman's Dome, Cumberland Gap or a dozen other places.

Some of the pictures are not quite as good. For example, on page 157, the snapshot of Prostrate Eryngo (E. yuccifolium) is misleading. In spite of minor quibbles this is a book well worth having. I must warn you that because of the glossy pages the book does weigh between two and three pounds which is significant when one is scrambling up an incline.

A real memory-maker!

This is an excellent guide to wildflowers and ferns for those of us on the Ohio side of the river. It is my most used field guide. Roger W. Barbour is definitely a talent as I have found his book "Amphibians & Reptiles of Kentucky" one of the best for identifying local snakes. This book is worth adding to your personal library.

I bought this book in the early 1980's. It was invaluable to me as I was a novice at IDing wild flowers. After walking in the woods and fields I would return home and get the book out and see if any of the plants I saw were in it. I still use the book, although not as much, but it is a great book to browse and refresh ones knowledge.