Customer Reviews

Rocky Mountain Flower Finder: A Guide to the Wildflowers Found Below Tree Line in the Rocky Mountains (Nature Study Guides)

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My family has always been very nature oriented, which may explain why I have become the owner of several of the "finders" books. Since moving to Colorado, I have watched for flower books and been disappointed in two I purchased. This book is exactly what I was looking for. At a picnic in the mountain woods, a guest brought a strange stalk in from a hike. It was covered with little pumpkin-shaped pods. Finding Pine Drops in this wonderful pocket-sized book sold it to me on the spot. When I went back to the same location the next year, I looked for the plant but didn't find it. Now I know I should not have been looking for a green plant, but one without chlorophyll. Aren't plants fascinating!

Of all the wildflower books I've seen, this one does the best job at helping you identify your unknown flower. This book uses a decision tree that guides you to the flower by answering questions about the flower's characteristics. e.g. if flower has regular shape go to p. 12, if irregular go to p. 15. Next, if flower has basal leaves, go to p. 20, etc. The book has an explanation and drawings of the terms used for identification. It has line drawings and written descriptions of the flowers. It is small and easily fits in your pocket for a hike.

This is a pocket guide for the enthusiast. Some prior knowledge of the terms used would be useful but it does what it says on the cover. I wish that I had found it before my last two trips to the Rocky Mountains but I will be taking it to Alaska this summer and hope that it helps there too.