Recommended Wildflower Guides

Students identifying plants in the field

Just Getting Started

Books with color photos, organized by flower color, time of flowering, or non-technical characters. A limited species list from a state or region. 

 


 

Intermediate

Organized by plant family and genus or a non-technical key. Illustrated with photos or detailed line drawings of flowers and more options to choose from.

 


 

Websites

 


 

Tallgrass Prairie Center Videos

  • Exploring Iowa's Native Plants (2020) — Six webinars and three virtual field tours show how to use Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, highlighting common plants in their season of flowering. Native and non-native.  
  • Grasses for the Masses (2021) — Seven-part webinar series beginning with four lectures on cool-season grasses flowering from mid-May through early July. Three lectures on warm-season grasses cover grasses flowering in late August – early September.