Many recreational hikers have stopped along the trail to admire a wildflower only to wonder what, exactly, they are looking at. Wildflowers of the Mountain West is a useful field guide that makes flower identification easy for the general outdoor enthusiast.

Many available plant guides are too technical or cumbersome for non-specialists to embrace. Covering New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Oregon, this book is perfect for the enthusiasts who has little botanical knowledge but would like to know more about the wildflowers they are seeing. Organized by flower color for easy reference, plant records include the common and scientific names, a description of typical characteristics, habitat information and distribution maps, look-alike species, color photographs, and informative commentary. In addition, the book provides a useful introduction to the Mountain West region, along with line drawings to illustrate basic flower parts, shapes, and arrangements; a glossary of common botanical terms; a quick search key; and an index.

The book is spiral-bound, making it easy to bring along while hiking, backpacking, or biking, and stunning full color photographs make visual confirmation of flower type simple and straightforward.
 

Richard M. Anderson is the Utah State University Botanical Center's nursery and greenhouse manager and oversees the plant introduction program. He resides in Malad, Idaho with his wife and three children. He is a history lover and thoroughly enjoys spending time scouring the mountain terrain in search of the next botanical beauty.

JayDee Gunnell is a Horticulture Associate Professor for Utah State University Extension in Salt Lake County, Utah. He also oversees the arboretum development at the Utah State University Botanical Center. He resides in Layton, Utah with his wife and four children. He enjoys any activity that finds him out of doors.

Jerry L. Goodspeed is a Horticulture Associate Professor for Utah State University Extension in Weber County, Utah, and co-directs two university-funded botanical gardens. He and his wife reside in Kaysville and are the proud parents of 6 children and 2 grandchildren. He is also known for his dry wit and humor that he finds in just about any situation.

“The best bang for your buck if you are serious about wildflower identification.”

—Heidi Anderson, Yellowstone National Park