Book Review: Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Epel

When I first started to get interested in wild plants I wanted to be able to identify only what was edible and medicinal. I naively thought those were the only 'useful' plants - so what was the point in knowing anything else? Jump to a few years later and I am now incurabley curious about everything that grows around me.

I have many field guides for my area which is necessary, but these books really don't teach you anything besides the name and specific information about any given plant. While researching for more reference material for identifying plants, I came across Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification by Thomas J. Epel. I found a book that would show me a solid framework for identifying plants the way botanists do.

The book has awesome information for the plant interested layperson. There are a few pages first recommended for the reader to read before diving into the plant keys and specific plant family references. Those pages include a compacted evolution summary and the history of taxonomic classification. Botanical vocabulary and a diagram of flower identification are also included. Some of this material I did know, but I learned a lot and it was fascinating to read.

This book has most of the plant families described but there are two that are not included and those are the lichen and spore plants without a vascular system.

The meat of the book is divided into plant families and varieties within that family along with beautifully detailed plant drawings. I also appreciate that some of the plant varieties have their common uses included in the description.

This book is essential for any wild plant lover or anyone that wants a quicker way to identify plants. Don't expect to learn botany in a day with this book (why would you?), but use it as a much easier way to learn patterns in plants. Another bonus is that it can be used anywhere in North America or in the world in many cases!

There is also a card game available that will test your skills and many other books on Epel's website.

Enjoy this video tutorial based on the book!