Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide Review
Del Tredici has belled the cat: instead of belaboring whether plants are native or invasive, good or evil, Del Tredici has taken the unexpected leap of looking at urban plants scientifically. With his long experience of plant and habitat management, he has asked the simplest and most elegant of questions about the functionality of each neglected "weed" familiar only to urban botanists: what really are the native plants of urban landscapes, and how can we evaluate their ecological roles and functionality in those settings.
The first twentyfive pages of this book should be mandatory reading for all American landscapers--henceforth they will be for all of my classes. Del Tredici explains how European studies for years have focused on plant associations, degree of disturbance and on tracing historical introductions, along with their co-evolution with human societies. Americans tend refer to them all as "aliens".
Del Tredici has studied for many years how American urban vegetation could be reasonably sorted into useful types, based on the factors which distinguish urban from wild ecology: degree of disturbance, of annual human maintenance effort, and of similarity to floristic patterns in nearby undisturbed areas. He very sensibly suggests three groups based on these studies: remnants of the original flora, managed "gardens" where annual effort maintains a suite of landscaped plantings, and highly disturbed areas, where nutrient and water budgets are neglected and his volunteers provide unmanaged greenery at no societal cost.
Nearly a thousand of his own photos showing characteristic views of these plants make identification for laymen very easy. One is tempted to say Peter Del Tredici has in one book elevated these organisms from weeds to urban heroes. Bravo to Comstock and Cornell for this landmark publication.
Where others only see "aliens" and "invasives", and plan eradication efforts, he and his students study ecological and plant-soil interactions, and analyze tolerance and removal of pollutants. He makes the strong case that we need to look for the plants of the future, capable of surviving projected climate extremes and native soil degradation. Here they are today in neglected urban rubble and sidewalk cracks. This field guide is the tool we all needed to first identify, and then to study, and, yes, even grow to admire such brave new urban natives, created in a real sense by our neglect of the planet.
Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide Feature
- ISBN13: 9780801474583
- Condition: New
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Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide Overview
Characterized by an abundance of pavement, reflected heat, polluted air and contaminated soil, our cities and towns may seem harsh and unwelcoming to vegetation. However, there are a number of plants that manage to grow spontaneously in sidewalk cracks and roadside meridians, flourish along chain-link fences and railroad tracks, line the banks of streams and rivers, and emerge in the midst of landscape plantings and trampled lawns. On their own and free of charge, these plants provide ecological services including temperature reduction, oxygen production, carbon storage, food and habitat for wildlife, pollution mitigation, and erosion control on slopes. Around the world, wild plants help to make urban environments more habitable for people. Peter Del Tredici's lushly illustrated field guide to wild urban plants of the northeastern United States is the first of its kind. While it covers the area bounded by Montreal, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Detroit, it is broadly applicable to temperate urban environments across North America. The book covers 222 species that flourish without human assistance or approval. Rather than vilifying such plants as weeds, Del Tredici stresses that it is important to notice, recognize, and appreciate their contribution to the quality of urban life. Indeed their very toughness in the face of heat islands, elevated levels of carbon dioxide and ubiquitous contamination is indicative of the important role they have to play in helping humans adapt to the challenges presented by urbanization, globalization and climate change. The species accounts--158 main entries plus 64 secondary species-feature descriptive information including scientific name and taxonomic authority, common names, botanical family, life form, place of origin, and identification features. Del Tredici focuses especially on their habitat preferences, environmental functions, and cultural significance. Each entry is accompanied by original full-color photographs by the author which show the plants' characteristics and growth forms in their typical habitats. Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast will help readers learn to see these plants-the natural vegetation of the urban environment-with fresh appreciation and understanding.
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Customer Reviews
Breaking Down the Nature / Culture Divide - Mitchell H. Rasor - Yarmouth, ME USA
I concur with the other reviewers that Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast finally gives credence to the diverse ecology of urban plant / habitats. Native / non - native has always been a slippery slope in classifying plants in urban environments - and even in so called "natural" environments. This is where these plants thrive, are often beautiful, provide wildlife habitat and more often than not, such as with Phragmites, are a mirror of our role in shaping the environment. Wild urban plants contribute to the wonderful diversity of urban life.
This is an well-written, clearly illustrated and unbiased book helping in the identification of these often curious and always tenacious plants.
Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide - David J. Russell - Batavia ny
This is one of, if not the most difinitive books for plant ID in an urban setting. I reccomend this to all Master Gardeners out there.
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