Weeds in the Urban Landscape : Where They Come from, Why They’re Here, and How to Live with Them by Richard Orlando

Richard Orlando provides the only book to discuss weeds commonly found in urban environments, offering detailed descriptions of 189 common weeds, explaining their families and characteristics, and suggesting strategies for managing their presence in the garden and field. A field guide for the urban explorer, gardener, or armchair enthusiast, this engagingly written book traces the history of weeds as they migrated out of the Middle East with human tribes, examines how they spread across Europe and the Americas, details the folklore surrounding them, and explains their role in the evolution of agriculture and human civilizations, and their many uses for medicine, food, animal fodder, and soil enhancement. Though Orlando focuses on weeds that grow in the San Francisco Bay area, many of the featured plants are found across the U.S. Abundant illustrations enhance the text and facilitate plant identification. An annotated bibliography and index of botanical names, in addition to a detailed explanation of Integrated Pest Management, make this an essential reference for anyone with an interest in the world outside our doors.