Weeds

by Alexander Campbell Martin

A guide to the plants that cause billions of dollars annually in crop loss and control measures including information on the harm that weeds cause, their benefits from weeds, and major habitats.

Genres: Reference, Gardening, Nonfiction, Science, Field Guides, Nature, Plants

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Alexander Campbell Martin (1897-1987)

Biography from the Golden Guide, Flowers, 1950 edition
ALEXANDER C. MARTIN, Ph.D., is an authority on plants used by wildlife, and on the identification of plants by seeds and fruits. He is the author of three Golden Guides, Flowers, Trees and Weeds, and for thirty years was research Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service in the Department of Interior.
Born in Turkey of missionary parents, Dr. Martin was interested in native plants there as a child and the interest has been sustained throughout his life. At one time he worked with Luther Burbank, and hybridizing is still one of his major interests. Dr. Martin has authored several books in the field of natural history, including a manual on seed identification.

Reviews

[Missy LeBlanc Ivey]

Originally published in 1972. This is a great little field guide (6"x 4") to carry around to help identify some weeds. There's plenty of colorful drawings for each plant (full plant, leaves, berries or flowers, stems, roots) to help in identification and basic information about each weed. I love it, as a lot of the weeds in the book grow right here on my 10 acres. I have found at least 20 of them. These weeds are actually not just for our area here in Southeast Texas. They are grown throughout the U.S. A map is provided to show where they can be found. The only problem with this book is that there just aren't enough wild weeds listed. It's such a tiny book. I feel like there's plenty of room to keep on adding to this little book.

[Dereck]

Oh my, as small, simple, and cheap as this book is, you might not expect it to be very good, but actually, it is one of the best weed guide books I've found. I have sucessfully identified a few plants that I've previously been unable to find information on. Great!

[JustJams]

Helpful pictures

[Brian Hutzell]

There is some overlap between the Weeds and Wildflowers Golden Guides, but not enough to be a major complaint. I appreciate that the seeds are also illustrated for most of the plants included in this volume–helps make identification easier. Golden Guides are a great starting point for young students or anyone else interested in learning more about the natural world.

[Christopher Tennant]

Good for the time it came out. Nice illustrations with some lively details about several plants.

[Danielle Woolard]

Drawings are helpful and pretty. Informative but kind of broad information, gives a nice overview of weed families. Some of the fun facts in the pages are very fun facts and it was surprisingly a very pleasant read cover to cover, and will now be an invaluable resource book.

[Bernie4444]

One person’s weeds are another person’s…

Weeds are just misplaced plants and many of them are desired in the right location. However, these particular plants are known for their weediness.

The series of Golden Guides has seen us through many a subject and now helps us to understand the nature and region in which most weeds grow. The color illustrations are much clearer than plain photographs. You may need a magnifying glass however to read the Index to Principal Common Names and the Latin Generic Names. Remember that weed by any other name is still a weed.

[Joann]

For their size and compression of info, the Golden Nature Guides are truly little gems with really good illustrations. I have mixed feeling about this particular edition of the guide I have. It appears to be an older edition. In the many years since it's publication we have developed a new appreciation of native plants and determination of what is a 'weed' and what is an invasive species. It's the later that are truly damaging weeds.

[Emily]

1972 pocketbook edition. Useful slim guide covering many of the volunteer plants growing in the community garden.

[Benjamin Plume]

Surprisingly interesting.