The Midwestern native garden Native alternatives to nonnative flowers and plants : an illustrated guide

Native plants are not only beautiful, they also provide for the needs of animals. Adelman and Schwartz (coauthors, Prairie Directory of North America) have written an informative, beautifully illustrated book suggesting native species Midwestern gardeners can use in place of common garden plants (they define the Midwest as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada). Arranged first by season then alphabetically by common name of nonnative plants, the entries list and describe the plants' native alternatives. In addition to listing common descriptors (height, etc.), entries note whether the nonnative plants are invasive. The native alternatives presented are species that resemble the nonnative plants in, for example, flower color and leaf shape, and that also have the same cultural requirements. "Nature Notes" include information on animals that use the plants for food, habitat, or reproduction purposes. While the authors unfortunately do not include USDA hardiness zones, they point to the USDA website as a source for such information and for determining whether a plant is native to a specific state. VERDICT Every Midwestern gardener interested in the reintroduction of native plants will want to own this book. Applicable to gardens in adjacent states as well.-Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.