Customer Reviews

Peterson Field Guide to Ferns, Second Edition: Northeastern and Central North America

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Would a field guide like this make a good holiday gift for a naturalist or gardener? Absolutely-if I didn't own it already it would be my number one choice. This is the best researched field guide I've ever seen. It is very very satisfying and is going to become a must-have for anyone who hikes the northeast or would like to garden with ferns, and for all botany students of the region. A book like this is more than just a guide-it trains the eye to open up to an entire world of subtle differences in nature. There is a kind of poetry in this guide usually not seen in this type of writing-BRILLIANT! Get one soon to catch the ferns in fall color-or do a little armchair gardening over the winter.

Significant advances in fern taxonomy have made this revision of the first edition essential. It retains the clear and detailed illustrations used in the first edition with some new drawings added as needed. The new keys are especially helpful. It's my favorite book for quick reference and identification of ferns, clubmosses, and horsetails. The paper in this edition is more durable, but the book heavier, which is a consideration in the field. I carry it anyway.

Now, I'd like to see a revision of A Field Guide to Wildflowers in the Peterson series.

A great book for identifying ferns and their allies. [ you know those club mosses - horsetails - spikemoss and such ] This new addition has color photos and the drawings are clear and detailed. It of course has a key which I one day will use but it seems I'm a "look at the diagrams [ each a full page in size ] till you find its match ...lol. Its truly worth the few bucks to have in the field, I use it both for fun and in delineating wetlands.

There are a lot of ferns at Ives Road Fen Preserve in Southeast Michigan. This book describes 8 features of each species, from the fronds to the sori. It has black and white diagrams of each species with arrows to the key identification features and color photos of some of them. Ecology and a discussion of similar species is also included.

With the caveat that I have just begun to use this and have limited exposure to it, I find so far that it's compact, comprehensive, and authoritative. I particularly like the field markers highlighted under each species, which is a real time saver when you're on the move. If you want something for field trips, I think you'll be happy with this.

solid peterson. useful primer on mosses. great with a variety of moss books. a good buy and useful addition to the basic botanical library.

This paperback was not very costly so I don't feel that it's a complete loss. I suppose if I get stuck in the house or go to prison, I will have the time to read it from cover to cover, but for now it is just too much to take in. There are many different ferns growing around the wetlands and fields where I live in Connecticut.
I was hoping that this would be a simple guide to identifying them. I guess I need a fern for idiots book instead. I would highly recommend it for a Botany grad student.

This book was purchased for office and field use. It arrived timely and is a very good reference book.

I like to know the plants that share my farm with me. This book is very useful in working out identifications of fern species.