National Audubon Society: Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region Book

Has too much of a desert bias. That's understandable considering the curator's pedigree, but the Audubon Society needs to make more than one guide for the western region. Too many coastal plants are missing and there aren't enough detailed pictures of leaves. Much of the time the flower won't tell you what plant it is because it's not at full maturity.

Many flowers also look different throughout their lifespans. For instance, one of the most interesting flowers in the western region is the western pasque flower. If you've hiked at alpine heights in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and parts of California, Nevada, and Utah, you've seen it, but maybe don't know it. In late summer, it turns into this whispy greenish/grayish longhair thing that looks like it belongs in a Dr. Seuss book. From experience, this is when people are most interested in what it is. I hear it all the time, fellow trail users/tourists are constantly asking about this flower. The flower is in this book, but there's almost no way you'd be able to identify it if, like most people, it only grabs your interest that time of year.

The book has occasionally come in handy but it's mostly been a disappointment. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's anything that's better. I wouldn't bother taking this with me on a trail. It's not worth its weight. Take a picture and attempt to look it up later.