What is a weed? We normally picture an aggressive plant that takes over the garden and is often not very attractive. But, weedy species are not necessarily all that bad. They may grow where we don't want them in the garden, but they can be very attractive plants. This book introduces you to 300 of these species found in the Pacific Northwest. I must say I was surprised at some of the plants that are considered weeds.

What was really eye-opening to me was the number of plants that are noxious, irritate the skin, or are toxic to cattle, pets, and other animals. I was surprised as some of these are species that grow in my area and are common. Some of them have properties that I had no clue about. It gives one pause when you think of how many folks are trying to forage for wild plants. We need to be very careful about which plants we do this with.

Each species account shows a color photo or two of the plant, its flowers or growth form. There is a description of the plant and it's properties, and whether or not it can be toxic. There may be a brief mention of edibility or medicinal uses, but the authors have stated in the introduction that the book is not about edible plant uses and that those facts are only mentioned in passing. (It's not meant to be a guide for this purpose.) The plant is described, as well as its habitat. Control methods are mentioned in case you want to eradicate a certain species from your garden.

Some plants that are listed in the book are native plants. In recent times, it's come to light that planting native plants in the garden is actually more beneficial to native insect pollinators. It helps them survive in a world where many of us plant non-native garden plants simply because they are attractive. I think a good sequel book would include all the native plants that can be used in a garden and are just as attractive as the ones that we consider weeds. After all, what is a weed except a plant that is growing where the gardener doesn't want it to grow?

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I did love the book so much that I purchased my own copy to have on hand. It's a great reference.

Weeds of the Pacific Northwest is an illustrated guide to invasive common "weeds" in the Pacific Northwest curated and written by Mark Turner (photos) and Sami Gray. Due out 13th Feb 2024 from Hachette on their Timber Press imprint, it's a comprehensive 456 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. .

Well written, information dense, and accessible, this is a very well curated guide to controlling and eradicating "weeds", mostly aimed at the home gardener. It's problematic that quite a significant portion of the plants in this volume are, in fact, native species which find inclusion in the volume because of their propensity to grow and flourish where they're not welcome. Nearly all of the native wild "weeds" are important food sources or shelter plants for native animals and wildlife, so rooting them out with relish seems a bit harsh.

-However- there are certainly times when non-native plants are invasive, noxious, unwanted, and unwelcome. This book expends a lot of effort on teaching readers how to eradicate most anything efficiently (and ruthlessly/successfully). Successful identification is key, and much of the book is taken up with an illustrated encyclopedia of plants/weeds.

The author spends a fair bit of time delineating the most common techniques for removing and eradicating pest plants including burning, physical removal, smothering, and herbicides. She discusses the relative merits of each and what they're best suited to.

Four stars. Beautifully photographed, weighty, and information dense. Some readers will be philosophically opposed to removing native species, and herbicide use, but the information included in the volume is sound, for what it is.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The cover of this book shows some very attractive flowers! Who would have guessed they were weeds? The purpose of the book is as a guide to the gardener to identify weeds in their garden. Many of the weeds described within are official noxious weeds, while others are simply unwelcome.
Once the book has been introduced, the authors give a nice tutorial on how to go about identifying a plant. Another section discusses the various levels of edibility of plants, as well as medicinal uses. Noxious weeds are defined and their implications are discussed, along with methods for weed control. The vast majority of the book provides descriptions of weeds, grouped by categories (trees/shrubs, vines, herbs, grasses, aquatics, etc.) Each weed profile contains valuable information about how it became invasive, whether a noxious weed, methods of spreading, ways to control. Several photographs are also provided.
While one wouldn't think to purchase a book about weeds, this can be a valuable resource, particularly for beginning gardeners who aren't sure whether a plant that appears in their garden is desired or a weed. While I'm grateful to Timber Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to do an advance review of this book, I just may have to purchase a copy for my own library!

What a great gift book to anyone and everyone in the PNW. If you live in the PNW, buy it for yourself. SO much more than a picture guidebook. I especially like the sections on how to control plants and tools to use.

Review to be posted to my Bookstagram (@booklovingcatmom) closer to release date.

Thank you so very much to Timber Press and NetGalley for granting my wish and allowing me an early peek at Weeds of the Pacific Northwest!
I can honestly say that this book is one I would very much like to have my own physical copy of to reference at my leisure. The information is relevant and concise and the photos are incredibly helpful. I appreciated how there were close up photos of the flowers and the foliage along with the main photo.
I would recommend this book to anyone living in the PNW as I think it is genuinely helpful.

This is a tough book for me to review because I honestly hated it so vehemently. Please understand that giving it three stars is a testament to the quality of photos, information, and size, and deference to the writers who obviously put a great deal of effort into it. That said, as a forager, herbalist, environmentalist, bird lover, pollinator protector and natural gardener, I really did hate-read the entire thing. It reminded me of those people who see the worst in everyone— so many of my favorite plants are featured here and you’re told how to kill them instead of how to use them and why they’re probably there in the first place (nature abhors a vacuum and plants will show up based on the condition of the soil, for instance).

The authors write that their original title was “Kill This Plant” and that kind of sums up the whole book. We’re told how and why to kill clover, catmint, sage, butterfly bush, millet, wild garlic, plantain, dandelions, mallow, oregano, fireweed, mullein, lambs quarters, purslane, cattails, violets, daisies, Norway maple trees, weeping willows, alfalfa, you name it. Most are also listed as toxic to chickens, cattle, sheep and horses, even ones that were originally introduced as feed for livestock (read carefully and some are poisonous if they get a mold, or the raw seeds are, or something very small and specific and are not actually toxic otherwise).

I will admit there are a few plants that are hard to love (anything with the word poison as it’s first name comes to mind) but I have learned that every plant shows up for a reason and there’s generally a very good way to use even the most aggressive and annoying of plants. Stinging nettles are amazingly healthy (and tasty once heated or even blended in a smoothie). Woad and poke berries make beautiful dyes. Purslane has more omega 3 fatty acids than any other plant and is great in salads and sandwiches. I take a homemade hawthorn tincture for my heart every day. Euell Gibbons referred to cattails as “nature’s grocery store.” Jewelweed is the best cure for poison ivy rashes and is beloved by hummingbirds. Many species of butterflies rely on thistle flowers. Many birds rely on the seeds of many of these plants. I would have loved these sort of answers — use this plant as a pot herb, feed this one to your chickens, offer these plants to local herbalists to come harvest…. Isn’t it time we learned to live in balance with nature instead of seeing so much of it as a nuisance to kill?

In any case, if you live in the PNW and want to learn more about your unwanted plants and how to kill them, this is your book.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.