The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Seed and Seedling Identification in the Upper Midwest

This lavishly illustrated guide to seeds and seedlings, crafted by Tallgrass Prairie Center botanist Dave Williams and illustrator Brent Butler, will insure that everyone from urban gardeners to grassland managers can properly identify and germinate seventy-two species of tallgrass wildflowers and grasses in eastern North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, Iowa, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, northwestern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma. Anyone in the Upper Midwest who wishes to preserve the native vegetation of prairie remnants or reconstruct a tallgrass prairie of whatever size will benefit from the hundreds of photographs and drawings and the precise text in this guide.

"For identification of plants, most books rely upon characteristics of the flowers and fruits. Even then, some plants may prove to be tricky to identify. Dave Williams has written a most innovative book on how to identify prairie plants in their seedling stages. Who would have thought this possible? Williams presents easily workable keys to the seedlings of seventy-two species, including both forbs and grasses, accompanied by superb photographs that use circles and triangles as bullet points for the distinctive features of each seedling. Information on how to distinguish a particular species from look-alikes is also very useful. Anyone wishing to identify prairie plants in their seedling stages must have this fine work."—Robert H. Mohlenbrock, distinguished professor emeritus of botany, Southern Illinois University

"Seedling identification presents many difficult challenges, but help is now available if you are working with midwestern prairie species. The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Seed and Seedling Identification in the Upper Midwest utilizes color photographs and line drawings to highlight key characteristics of the seedlings of seventy-two different forbs and grasses often used in prairie reconstructions. Each species is presented on a full page with illustrations that provide both an overview and a close-up examination of identifying features. The guide excels in helping users visualize the subtleties of morphology that help distinguish species from one another. This in itself makes the guide a valuable resource; add in its descriptions of seed germination biology and habitat information, and you have an indispensable resource for prairie reconstructionists."-Thomas Rosburg, professor of biology, Drake University

Dave Williams, program manager for the Prairie Institute at the Tallgrass Prairie Center, University of Northern Iowa, has been actively engaged in prairie restoration and reconstruction since-1989. The graphic designer for the Tallgrass Prairie Center since 2006, artist Brent Butler has produced many publications on prairie conservation.