Book Description

This fully illustrated guide provides information for identifying over 200 species of plants commonly found in North Carolina's mountain, piedmont, and coastal plain wetlands. It is designed for anyone interested in the state's wetland flora and contains: organization by plant type, key identifying features, maps showing relative commonness by ecoregion, status information from the National Wetland Plant List, habitat information, and a section on commonly confused plants. Wetland plants are indicators of the duration of water in an area. The ability to identify wetland plants is useful to anyone who needs to know where a wetland lies, whether it be landowner, regulator, developer, government, or conservation organization. This version is an update to the 1997 Common Wetland Plants of North Carolina written and illustrated by Karen Kendig before she retired from NC DEQ. The original guide included 128 taxa; this newly revised edition includes 206 taxa, photographs of all taxa, notation of non-native species, and other updated information. Wetlands are valuable, vanishing resources that provide useful functions including water storage and purification, wildlife and aquatic habitat, and outdoor recreation and education. We hope visitors to wetlands will recognize and appreciate the value of these wonderlands, beginning with the observation of wetland plants and animals.