Common Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Coast: A Field Guide

From eelgrass to hardy maritime forests, the mid-Atlantic coast is rich with a variety of habitats and an abundance of common, if not always familiar, plants. This is a field guide to the plants found along the coast from Long Island Sound to North Carolina’s barrier islands. It provides an introduction to the fragile ecology and beauty of the flora of the coastal region. This revised edition is divided into three sections which correspond to the natural divisions of the landscape: Part One covers beaches, dunes and marine forests; Part Two includes salt and brackish marshes; and Part Three reviews plants found in tidal and non-tidal freshwater wetlands. Each section begins with an introduction that describes the characteristics of the area and the flora to be found there. Individual plant entries follow. There are illustrations accompanying facing-page descriptions that aid in identification and provide background information, as well as anecdotes. Plant entries now include the subheadings: “Growth Habit and Diagnostic Characteristics” where the reader will find descriptions of general appearance; “Distribution”, which tells where each plant is found along the coast; “Habitat”; and “Ecological Value/Benefits”. The author has also added each plant’s “Wetland Indicator Status”, which estimates a species’ frequency of occurrence in wetland habitats. This second edition contains 17 more species and the appendices include Web sites for various federal, state and coastal parks, refuges and natural areas. A key is provided to help readers identify plants in the field according to physical features.