Books

The following list of books is a work in progress. Some of the books span multiple categories, but are placed in just one.

General Books on the Value of Native Plants in Supporting Biodiversity

  • Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing Nature Home. Timber Press, 2007.
  • Wilson, Edward O. Half-Earth. Liveright Publishing, 2016.
  • Tallamy, Douglas W. Nature’s Best Hope. Timber Press, 2019.
  • Tallamy, Douglas W. The Nature of Oaks. Timber Press, 2021.

ID Books

Wildflowers

  • Midgley, Jan W. All About Tennessee Wildflowers. Sweetwater Press, 1999.
  • Carman, Jack B.  Wildflowers of Tennessee.  Highland Rim Press, 2001.
  • Horn, Dennis, et al. Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians. Lone Pine Publishing, 2018.

Woody Plants

  • Jones, Ronald L., and Wofford, B. Eugene. Woody Plants of Kentucky and Tennessee: The Complete Winter Guide to Their Identification and Use. University Press of Kentucky, 2013.
  • Lance, Ron. Woody Plants of the Southeastern United States. The University of Georgia Press. 2004.
  • Williams, Michael D. Identifying Trees of the East: An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America. Stackpole Books, 2017.

All Vascular Plants

  • Tennessee Flora Committee.  Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, 2015.

Bees

  • Holm, Heather. Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide. Pollination Press LLC, 2017

Butterflies

  • Venable, Rita. Butterflies of Tennessee. Maywood Publishing, 2014.

Wasps

  • Holm, Heather. Wasps. Pollinator Press, 2021.

Garden Design and Reference Books

Attracting Pollinators and Birds to the Garden

  • Holm, Heather.  Pollinators of Native Plants. Pollinator Press LLC, 2014.
  • The Xerces Society.  Attracting Native Pollinators, Storey Publishing, 2011.
  • The Xerces Society.  Gardening for Butterflies, Timber Press, 2016.
  • Sorenson, Sharon. Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard. Stackpole Books, 2018.

Gardening and Landscape Design

  • Christopher, Thomas, and Weaner, Larry. Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change. Timber Press, 2016.
  • Darke, Rick, and Tallamy, Douglas W. The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden. Timber Press, 2016.
  • Dove, Tony, and Woolridge, Ginger. Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United States. Charlesbridge, 2018.
  • Hunter, Margie.  Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee.  The University of Tennessee Press, 2002.
  • Mellichamp, Larry, and Gross, Paula. The Southeast Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden.  Timber Press, 2020.
  • Rainer, Thomas, and West, Claudia. Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes. Timber Press, 2016.
  • Reed, Sue and Stibolt, Ginny. Climate-wise Landscaping. New Society Publishers. 2018.
  • Vogt, Benjamin. Prairie up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design. 3 Fields Books, 2023.

Comprehensive Tree Landscaping (including exotics)

The title of the section really should have been, “Tree Books that are Almost 1,000 Pages Long and Weigh over 7 Pounds.”

  • Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing, 2009.
  • Dirr, Michael A. Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs. Timber Press, 2016.
  • Dirr, Michael A., and Warren, Keith S.. The Tree Book: Superior Selections for Landscapes, Streetscapes, and Gardens. Timber Press, 2019.

Beneficial Insects

  • Walliser, Jessica. Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control. Cool Springs Press, 2nd edition, 2022.

Native Plant Propagation

  • Baskin, Carol C., and Baskin, Jerry M. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, 2nd Edition.  Elsevier, 2014. [1,586 pages, 8 pounds, and a 3-figure price]
  • Bir, Richard E.  Growing & Propagating Showy Native Woody Plants.  The University of North Carolina Press, 1992.
  • Cullina, William. The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada. United States, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.
  • Dino, Norman C. Seed Germination, Theory, and Practice, 2nd Edition. Self-published, 1993.
  • Dirr, Michal A. and Heuser, Jr., Charles W.  The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation.  Varsity Press, Athens, GA, 1987.
  • Midgley, Jan A. W. Native Plant Propagation. Fifth Edition. Jan A. W. Midgley, 2020.
  • Woody Plant Seed Manual, USDA FS Agriculture Handbook 727, April 2008.