The second edition of The Plants of Pennsylvania is the authoritative guide to identifying the nearly 3,400 species of flowering plants, ferns, and gymnosperms native or naturalized in the Commonwealth. It features a complete reorganization into a genetic scheme that reflects recent advances in our understanding of plant relationships.

Ralph Waldo Emerson defined a weed as a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. To the wild-plant enthusiast who has discovered the virtues of many plants, there are relatively few weeds. After using this book, you will never again consider lamb's-quarters a weed. Instead, you will nurture it with respect and even encourage its growth in your garden. Edible Wild Plants of Pennsylvania and Neighboring States contains botanically accurate, up-to-date information essential for the identification of more than one hundred delectable wild plants. Each plant entry provides characteristics, habitat, distribution, edible parts, food uses, precautions, and preparation, followed by tasty recipes and interesting remarks about the plant's botanical history. The plants are arranged according to height, with the ground-huggers appearing first and the trees last. Each plant is also cross-referenced by common and scientific names. The authors have written this book with the novice forager in mind, including useful tips on foraging from where to search for food to precautions to take. They also provide a list of toxic look-alikes, a nutrient composition chart, and a glossary of terms.

A comprehensive reference and discussion about how to plan and develop landscape designs using native plants, with a focus on the northeastern counties of Pennsylvania. Covers 2,150 species of trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials and annuals, 100 kinds of regional soils, and 135 ecological communities with detailed plant associations for each. Also included are the 540 protected plant species in Pennsylvania, invasive species of local concern, plant sources and additional resources for native plant enthusiasts.

Nearly 1,000 commercially available Pennsylvania native plants are covered in this handy shopping guide and planning reference from The Pennystone Project: where they grow in the wild and how to grow them in your garden. Another 1,000 species that are not commercially available are listed, as are all the endangered species and all Pennsylvania native annuals. The guide also includes lists of the best plants to start with for sites ranging from sun to shade. Not a field guide; just comprehensive information. From The Pennystone Project.

“With the twinned calamities of climate change and mass extinction weighing heavier and heavier on my nature-besotted soul, here were concrete, affordable actions that I could take, that anyone could take, to help our wild neighbors thrive in the built human environment. And it all starts with nothing more than a seed. Bringing Nature Home is a miracle: a book that summons butterflies." —Margaret Renkl, The Washington Post As development and habitat destruction accelerate, there are increasing pressures on wildlife populations. In his groundbreaking book Bringing Nature Home, Douglas W. Tallamy reveals the unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife—native insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plants. When native plants disappear, the insects disappear, impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. Luckily, there is an important and simple step we can all take to help reverse this alarming trend: everyone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity by simply choosing native plants. By acting on Douglas Tallamy's practical and achievable recommendations, we can all make a difference.

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.

Authoritative, encyclopedic, lavishly illustrated guide to the trees of the state and region—from the Morris Arboretum, the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Three hundred million years ago, ferns dominated the earth's surface, forming extensive marshes and forests with heights of over twenty-five meters. Today, ferns and their allies are still abundantly represented in the plant world, with somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 species identified and recognized. These nonflowering, nonseeding, highly vascular plants make up a major and ancient division in the plant kingdom called Pteridophytes. In the state of Pennsylvania, one can find more than 100 species of these highly specialized plants. While ferns are by far the largest division of the Pteridophyte group in the state, horsetails, clubmosses, spikemosses, and quillworts are the lesser-known members, frequently misidentified as relatives of more modern flowering plants. With more than 190 color photographs and descriptions of 96 different plants, recognizing each Pteridophyte is a relatively easy matter. The photos of the plants show them growing in their natural settings, which helps to establish a clearer picture of the common characteristics of the families and their likely habitats. Maps illustrate the distribution of the various species throughout the counties of Pennsylvania and across the United States. Taxonomic keys are also included for each of the groups to assist in identifying the plants based on their biology. Finally, the book provides the most common local names for the plants, making it useful for both the amateur naturalist and the professional botanist.