The History and Folklore of North American Wildflowers (Paperback)

~ (Author), Steven Foster (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

For this book, plants were chosen from those listed in standard guides, such as Peterson and Audubon Society publications. Entries discuss about 700 plants from over 90 families. Plants featured were those used by the Indians and/or colonists.

Arrangement is by family according to evolutionary development, i.e., the oldest (lizard's-tail) to most recent (orchid). For each of the entries, basic information includes the common name, the Latin name and its translation, and any vernacular names. One or more paragraphs quote what various writers have observed about the plant. For example, the entry Houseleek (13 vernacular names, including hen-and-chickens) refers to a Roman belief alluded to by William Bullein (1562), mentions its use in Ireland (citing Grigson, 1955), and quotes Thoreau's 1850 description.

There are one or two illustrations per page, line drawings reprinted from Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora (1896). The 10-page introduction discusses scope, major sources consulted, indexing, illustrations, and sources of vernacular names. Included are a glossary and a brief section of biographies (Pliny the Elder to Jacob Bigelow). A 12-page bibliography of books and articles and two indexes (personal names and plant names) conclude the book.

The History and Folklore is less than the title suggests. It is basically a compilation of folklore the author found in the sources consulted, including occasional poems. Treatment is not comprehensive or detailed. The line drawings, with neither color nor indication of scale, are more interesting than informative. This source is most appropriate for home-browsing use; it is an acceptable purchase for public and academic libraries. Only botanic collections with comprehensive collections need feel constrained to acquire. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

This highly entertaining reference book presents the popular lore, social history, and practical uses of nearly seven hundred native flowers.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (January 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395515939
• ISBN-13: 978-0395515938
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,496,212 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The History and Folklore of North American Wildflowers, February 28, 2003

By	Bruce Hapeman (Livonia, NY United States) - See all my reviews

If you find yourself wondering about wildflowers and how they were appreciated by those many generations before us, then this is a wonderful book to add to your library. I found various aspects of this book to be helpful, including the biographical notes on Pliny the Elder, Peter Kalm and many others. The author also lists regional names for plants; for instance Garlic Mustard is also known as Sauce-Alone. The book is easy to read, and gives interesting historical information from various sources on the medicinal and other uses of wildflowers. The line drawings add a nice touch. Keep in mind that the book is geared toward history and is not meant as a guide for identifying plants. Good companion books to this would be any of the Peterson's Field Guides to Wildflowers and/or Medicinal Plants.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rare, perhaps soon-to-be lost, botanical esoterica, May 9, 2006

By	goosefish (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

There are things in this book I have never heard anywhere else. It is an unusual compilation of historical plant literature, which like much ethnobotany could one day simply vanish from the collective conscience.

The historical anecdotes are wide-ranging and memorable, e.g. Arrow Arum tubers were a staple food of mid-Atlantic Indian tribes; Jimsonweed's strongly hallucinogenic alkaloids were a favorite tool of medieval "wenches... so skilled in [the] dosing of it, that they [could] make a man mad for as many hours as they [pleased];" the Pawnee Indians swore by a perfume made of crushed Columbine seeds...

I cringe at the thought of how much plant knowledge was once commonly known and used, yet now stands on the brink of extinction. I liken it to a pile of never-published Bach or Vivaldi manuscripts rotting away in some attic, when they instead could bring joy to millions.