Recommended resources for plant identification in Illinois and surrounding regions.
General/Regional
- Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary by James G. Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris. 2001. Spring Lake Pub.
- Newcombs Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb. 1977. Little, Brown and Company. (great for beginners)
- iNaturalist.org website and apps (iPhone/Android)
- Flora of North America project
- Sedges of North America from Louisiana State University
- Carex (sedge) books by Linda W. Curtis
- Carex of Illinois and Surrounding States The Oval Sedges by Michael Murphy, Greg Spyreas, and Paul Marcum
Illinois
- Flora of the Chicago Region by Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha. 2017. Indiana Academy of Sciences.
- Vascular Flora of Illinois by Robert H. Mohlenbrock. 2013 (Fourth Edition). Southern Illinois Press.
- Illustrated Flora of Illinois series by Robert Mohlenbrock. Southern Illinois Press.
- Field Guides, numerous authors, hosted at The Field Museum
- Illinois Plants database by the Illinois Natural History Survey: Wild Plants of the Prairie State
- IllinoisWildflowers.info by John Hilty
- Illinois Wildflowers app (iPhone/Android)
- Forest Trees of Illinois by Robert Mohlenbrock. 2006. Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
- Trees of Illinois by Linda Kershaw. 2007. Lone Pine.
- Plant Communities of Southern Illinois by John Voigt and Robert Mohlenbrock. 1964. Southern Illinois Press.
- Flora of Southern Illinois by Robert Mohlenbrock and John Voigt. 1959. Southern Illinois Press.
- Rapid Color Field Guide: Spring Flora of Southern Illinois and Guide to Spring Wildflower Hikes in Southern Illinois
Indiana
- Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest: Identification, Wildlife Values, and Landscaping Use by Salley S. Weeks and Harmon P. Weeks, Jr. Purdue University Press. 2012.
- Sedges of Indiana and the Adjacent States: The Non-Carex Species by Paul E. Rothrock. Indiana University Press. 2012.
- Indiana Wildflowers by Kay Yatskievych. Indiana University Press. 2000.
Michigan
- Field Manual of Michigan Flora by Edward G. Voss and Anton A. Reznicek. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. 2012 and online database: MichiganFlora.net, with online dichotomous keys
Missouri
- The Flora of Missouri series by George Yatskievych. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. 1999–2014.
- Trees of Missouri by Don Kurz. Missouri Department of Conservation. 2003.
- Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri by Don Kurz. Missouri Department of Conservation. 1997.
- A Key to Missouri Trees in Winter by Jerry Cliburn & Ginny Wallace. Missouri Department of Conservation. 1990.
- Missouri Wildflowers by Edgar Denison, 6th. Missouri Department of Conservation. 2008 edition.
- MissouriPlants.com by Dan Tenaglia
Wisconsin
- Wildflowers of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region: A Comprehensive Field Guide by Merel R. Black and Emmet J. Judziewicz. 2009. University of Wisconsin Press.
- Field Guide to Wisconsin Sedges: An Introduction to the Genus Carex (Cyperaceae) by Andrew L. Hipp. 2008. University of Wisconsin Press.
- Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin by the Wisconsin State Herbarium, UW–Madison
- Spring Flora of Wisconsin: A Manual of Plants Growing without Cultivation and Flowering Before June 15 by Norman Fassett. 1976. University of Wisconsin Press.
Minnesota
- MinnesotaWildflowers.info by Katy Chayka and Peter M. Dziuk
Kentucky
- Plant Life of Kentucky by Ronald Jones. 2005. The University Press of Kentucky.
- Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky by Thomas Barnes and S. Wilson Francis. 2004. The University Press of Kentucky.
- Kentucky Wildflowers
Other Regions
- Canadensys data explorer and Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN)
- GoBotany website by the Native Plant Trust (New England) https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians by Dennis Horn and Tavia Cathcart. 2005. Lone Pine Publishing.
- Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States by Alan Weakley