Common Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Coast: A Field Guide

Common Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Coast: A Field Guide by Silberhorn, Gene M.. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780801860812.

"A superb guidebook for amateur naturalists, students in a variety of ecology-oriented courses, and gardeners who wish to assess new species."―American Horticulturist Beggars ticks and marsh pink. Tearthumbs and chairmakers rush. Live oak, pitch pine, wild black cherry, sassafras, and loblolly pine. From eelgrass rooted in wrack lines on windswept back shores to hardy maritime forests sculpted by strong winds and salt spray, the Mid-Atlantic coast is rich with a variety of habitats and an abundance of common, if not always familiar, plants. In Common Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Coast, Gene M. Silberhorn provides a field guide to the plants found along the coast from Long Island Sound to North Carolinas barrier islands. This introduction to the fragile ecology and remarkable beauty of the flora of the coastal region was highly praised by reviewers when it was first published in 1982. This revised edition retains the features that earned it acclaim and provides a wealth of new information. The three sections of the book correspond to the natural divisions of the landscape: Section One covers beaches, dunes, and marine forests; Section Two includes salt and brackish marshes; and Section Three reviews plants found in tidal and nontidal freshwater wetlands. Each section of Common Plants begins with an introduction that describes the characteristics of the area and the flora to be found there. Individual plant entries follow. Delicate illustrations accompany facing page descriptions that aid in identification and provide concise background information, as well as delightful anecdotes. An easy- to-use key helps readers identify plants in the field according to physical features. Plant entries now includes the subheadings: "Growth Habit and Diagnostic Characteristics," where the reader will find descriptions of general appearance, "Distribution," which tells where along the coast the plant is found, "Habitat," and, particularly important in this age of heightened environmental awareness, "Ecological Value/Benefits." The author has also added each plants "Wetland Indicator Status," which estimates a species frequency of occurrence in wetland habitats. Seventeen species have been added to this fully updated second edition. The appendices now include websites for various federal and state, coastal parks, refuges, and natural areas.