Plant books?

[Gold Star Lawns]

I have been searching around for awhile, but would like some insight from you all before I buy some books. I am looking for books on plants that would help educate me. I am ultimately searching for the best plant book...im wanting the book to include...pics of the plant, scientific AND their common names, etc....identification of the plant as well. Alot of books out there include pics and scientific names...but no common names...or both names and no pictures helping one identify the plant they are talkin about....So if you could let me know of any really good books out there that you may have or heard of that are good buys. Thanks for any input.

[B&M]

Try this http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...0&sprefix=dirr

[turf hokie]

The link above brings up the Dirr woody's book, This is standard college text book. We used the white and then green cover version, the brown is the latest?
no color pics, but other than that it is the book to have.

[Gold Star Lawns]

Thanks alot...i had looked at dirr's books(brown cover was in cart at one time)...and alot of the reviews were sayin its the best book to have although it lacks pics..
Turf Hokie...did the version you used in school have pics, scientific name and common names as well as alot of other helpful info....i know you said u used it in school...but just making sure...thanks again

[turf21]

I have Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants and Steven Still's Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants. We used these in school. They are both similar in content. Both list scientific, common, and family names. Don't remember seeing any pictures but they had drawings of nearly every plant listed in the book. I used to google scientific names and look at the images and print some of the more common ones and ones we had to ID for class. There are a lot of specific websites I would browse through for pictures also.

[Danscapes]

Yep, the Dirr book is the Bible for plant I.D. Go to your local college book store and pick up a used one, on the cheap. I bought this book 6 years ago for my Landscape Horticulture degree and still use it today.

[MarthaT]

Thats the only book I would recommend

[Gold Star Lawns]

sounds good....thanks alot for all your input

[wvbrian]

I recommend the Dirr book as well, its considered the industry standard. I used it at UT 10 years ago. You could also go the Horticopia CD route, although its pricey, it does include color pics. The USDA also has a database of plannts with botanical names and pictures. but you probably wont find many cultivars there, only the straight species.