Plant Identifications and Advice

Sources of information for plant identifications^*

To our knowledge there is no organisation in the UK that is able to provide a free identification service. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, offers a specialised identification service for poisonous plants and fungi, and commercial identification of potpourri and seeds.

For other identifications the following books and/or organisations may be able to help.

General

Baumgardt, J.P. (1982). How to Identify Flowering Plant Families : A Practical Guide for Horticulturist and Plant Lover. 269pp, Timber Press.
Harris, J.G. and M.W. Harris. (1994) Plant Identification Terminology : An Illustrated Glossary. Spring Lake Pub.
Heywood, V. (1993). Flowering plants of the world. B.T. Batsford.
Hickey, M. and C. King. (2000). The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms. Cambridge University Press
Hickey, M. and C. King (1997). Common families of flowering plants. Cambridge University Press.
Gledhill, D. (1985). The names of plants. Cambridge University Press.
Mabberley, D.J. (1997). The plant-book, a portable dictionary of vascular plants. Ed. 2. Cambridge University Press. (good for finding both scientific and common names)
Zomlefer, W. (1994). Guide to Flowering Plant Families. 430pp, University of North Carolina Press.

Garden plants

Brickell, C. (ed.) (1989). The Royal Horticultural Society gardeners' encyclopedia of plants and flowers. 608 pp. Dorling Kindersley, London.
Brickell, C. (ed.) (1996). The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. 1080 pp. Dorling Kindersley, London.
Cullen, J. et al. (eds) (1984-2000). The European garden flora. Vols. 1-6. Cambridge University Press.
Huxley, A. (ed.). (1992). The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. Vols. 1-4. Macmillan.
Lord, T. et al. (annually). RHS Plant Finder. c. 950 pp. Dorling Kindersley. (Also available on CD-Rom Tel: 01273 476151)
Quest-Ritson, C. & Blair, C. (annually). RHS Gardeners' Yearbook. c. 320 pp. Unwin Brothers, Woking.

Trees and shrubs

Bean, W.J. (1976-1980). Trees and shrubs hardy in the British Isles. Vols. 1-4. Ed. 8. John Murray Ltd., London.
Clarke, D.L. (ed.) (1988). Supplement to Ed. 8 of W.J. Bean, Trees and shrubs hardy in the British Isles. 616 pp. John Murray Ltd., London.
Coombes, A.J. (1991). The Hiller manual of trees and shrubs. Ed. 6. 704 pp. David & Charles.
Grey-Wilson, C. & Matthews, V. (1983). Gardening on walls. 320 pp. Collins.
Medcalf, L.J. (1987). The cultivation of New Zealand trees and shrubs. 346 pp. Reed Methuen Publishers Ltd., Auckland.
Phillips, R. & Rix, M. (1988). Roses. 224 pp. Pan.
Phillips, R. & Rix, M. (1989). Shrubs. 288 pp. Pan.
Rehder, A. (1974). Manual of cultivated trees and shrubs hardy in North America Ed. 2. 996 pp. Macmillan, New York.
Taylor, J. (1987). Climbing plants. 124 pp. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in association with Collingridge.

Perennials

Phillips, R. & Rix, M. (1991). Perennials. Vol. 1. Early perennials. 240 pp. Macmillan.
Phillips, R. & Rix, M. (1991). Perennials. Vol. 2. Late perennials. 252 pp. Macmillan.
Thomas, G.S. (1982). Perennial garden plants or, the modern florilegium. 398 pp. Dent.
Trehane, P. (1981). Index Hortensis. Vol. 1. perennials. 501 pp. Quarterjack Publishing, Wimborne.

Annuals and biennials

Phillips, R. & Rix M. (1999). Annuals and biennials. 288 pp. Macmillan.

Alpines

Grey-Wilson, C. (ed.). (1989). A manual of alpine and rock garden plants. 278 pp. Christopher Helm, London; Timber Press, Portland.

Bulbs

Mathew, B. (1973). Dwarf bulbs. 240 pp. Batsford in association with the Royal Horticultural Society.
Mathew, B. (1987). Flowering bulbs for the garden. 124 pp. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in association with Collingridge.
Matthews, V. (1989). Lilies. 124 pp. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in association with Collingridge.
Rix, M. & Phillips, R. (1981). The bulb book. 192 pp. Pan.

Water plants

Robinson, P. (1987). Pool and waterside gardening. 124 pp. The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, in association with Collingridge.

Ferns

Jones, D.L. (1987). Encylopedia of ferns. 433 pp. Timber Press.

Herbs and medicinal plants

Bown, D. (1996). The Royal Horticultural Society encylopedia of herbs and their uses. 424 pp. Dorling Kindersley, London.
McVicar, J. (2002). New Book of Herbs. 288pp, Dorling Kindersley, London.

House and conservatory plants

Beckett, K.A. (1987). The RHS encyclopaedia of house plants including conservatory plants. 492 pp. Century.
Huxley, A. (ed.). (1979). Reader's Digest: success with house plants. 480 pp. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Phillips, R. & Rix, M. (1997). Conservatory and indoor plants. Vols. 1-2. Macmillan.
Simmons, J. (ed.) (1988). Kew Gardens book of indoor plants. 224 pp. George Philip & Son Ltd., London.

Cultivated tropical and subtropical plants

Bailey, L.H. (1935). The standard cyclopedia of horticulture. Vols. 1-3. Macmillan Company.
Coates Palgrave, K; Coates Palgrave, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (1985). Everyone's guide to trees of southern Africa. 110 pp. CNA.
Costa, A. da (1980). Madeira – plants and flowers. (Ed. 5) 344 pp. ELO.
Davidson, A. & Knox, C. (1991). Fruit, a connoisseur's guide and cookbook. 192 pp. Simon & Schuster.
Graf, A.B. (1985). Exotica International Series 4. Pictorial cyclopedia of exotic plants from tropical and near tropic regions. Vols. 1-2. Roehrs. [Worldwide].
Graf, A.B. (1986). Tropica. Color cyclopedia of exotic plants and trees. (Ed. 3) 1152pp. Roehrs. [Worldwide].
Herklots, G. (1976). Flowering tropical climbers. 194 pp. Dawson, Science History Publications. [Worldwide].
Jones, D.L. (1993). Cycads of the World. 312 pp. Reed.
Lotschert, W. & Beese, G. (1983). Tropical plants. 256 pp. Collins.
Macmillan, H.E. (1991). Tropical planting and gardening. (Ed. 6) 767 pp. Malay Nature Society. [Revised by H.S. Barlow, I. Enoch & R.A. Russell]. [South East Asia].
Menninger, E.A. (1962). Flowering trees of the world for tropics and warm climates. 336 pp. Hearthside.
Menninger, E.A. (1970). Flowering vines of the world. 410 pp. Hearthside.
Oakman, H. (1981). Tropical and subtropical gardening. (Ed. 2) 294 pp. The Jacaranda Press. [Australian plants].
Pienaar, K. (1984). The South African what flower is that? 368 pp. Struik.
Polunin, I. (1987). Plants and flowers of Singapore. 160 pp. Times Editions.
Polunin, I. (1988). Plants and flowers of Malaysia. 160 pp. Times Editions.
Staff of the Bailey Hortorium (1976). Hortus Third. 1290 pp. Macmillan, New York. [Plants cultivated in USA only].
Van-Ollenbach, A. (1978). Planting guide to the Middle East. 154 pp. The Architectural Press Ltd.

Food plants and spices

Rougemont, G.M. de (1989). A field guide to the crops of Britain and Europe. 367 pp. Collins.
Vaughan, J.G. & Geissler, C.A. (1997). The new Oxford book of food plants. (Ed. 2) 239 pp. Oxford University Press.
Norman, J. (2002). Herb and spice: the cook's reference. 336pp, Dorling Kindersley, London.

Poisonous plants

Dauncey, E. (2000). Poisonous Plants & Fungi in Britain & Ireland: interactive identification systems on CD-Rom. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Cooper, M. R., & Johnson, A. W. (1998). Poisonous Plants and Fungi in Britain: Animal and Human Poisoning, Ed. 2. The Stationery Office: London.

British and Irish floras

Lang, D.C. (1987). The complete book of British berries. 223 pp. Threshold Books.
Phillips, R. (1980). Grasses, ferns, mosses and lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. 191 pp. Pan.
F. Rose. (1991). The Wild Flower Key. 480pp, F. Warne.
C.A. Stace. (1997). New Flora of the British Isles. 1165pp, Cambridge University Press.

European floras

Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). The illustrated flora of Britain and northern Europe. 544 pp. Hodder & Stoughton.
Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1993). Mediterranean wild flowers. 560 pp. Harper Collins Publishers.
Grey-Wilson, C. & Blamey, M. (1979). The alpine flowers of Britain and Europe. 384 pp. Collins.
Latymer, H. (1990). The Mediterranean Gardener. 16 pp. Frances Lincoln in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. 1336 pp. Harper Collins Publishers.
Vedel, H. (1977). Trees and shrubs of the Mediterranean. 127 pp. Penguin Nature Guides.

^*Please note that the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew can take no responsibility for the advice or information given by any of the sources listed above.