Forest Plants of Central Ontario

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

There’s an incredible amount of information packed into this carefully
designed book. Although small enough to fit into a jacket pocket, it
includes identification, historical, and general information on trees,
shrubs, herbs, flowers, grasses, sedges, liverworts, ferns, mosses, and
lichens. Hikers, campers, day trippers, and others who visit the woods
will be delighted to have such a comprehensive range of plant life
(nearly 700 species) covered in one compact guide, and will revel in the
variety, detail, and quality of the coverage.

For most species there is both a pen-and-ink sketch and a color photo,
and text that includes description, habitat, scientific and popular
names, measurements, uses by birds and animals, historical and folk
uses, and edible/poisonous status.

Color-coded corners on the pages make it easy to find the right section
(tree, shrub, moss, etc.) quickly, and the classification key that
introduces each section helps the user zero in on the identification of
the plant at hand. The text is written in plain English, with a minimal
use of technical terms. The glossary quickly brings those few down to
size.

The guide’s coverage spans Central Ontario forests, from Georgian Bay
and cottage country north to the Sault, and east to Algonquin Park and
the Ottawa Valley. As plants are not con-fined by political boundaries,
it will be useful throughout much of Ontario, Quebec, and Eastern
Canada.

Most people with an interest in nature acquire many field guides.
Regardless of the extent of their collection, this exceptionally
high-quality offering will generate real enthusiasm.