DAWO members helped compile this list of recommended reading material. Please let us know if you have a favorite to add!
Why Plant Native Plants
Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (2009) by Douglas W. Tallamy. ISBN: 9780881929928, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2227735.Bringing_Nature_Home
Nature’s Best Hope (2020) by Douglas W. Tallamy. ISBN: 9781604699005, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/43212849
Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards (1993) by Sara Bonnett Stein. ISBN: 9780395709405, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3804439
The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees by Douglas W. Tallamy, ISBN 9781643260877, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/54110488
A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future (2017) by Benjamin Vogt, ISBN 9780865718555, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/34381078
We are the ARK: Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature (2022) by Mary Reynolds, ISBN 9781643261782, https://www.workman.com/products/we-are-the-ark/hardback
American Plants for American Gardens (1996) by Edith Roberts, ISBN 9780820318516, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1280285
Beauty of the Wild (2021) by Darrel Morrison, ISBN 9781952620287, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55188260-beauty-of-the-wild
Sustainable Landscaping
Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change (2016) by Larry Weaner, Thomas Christopher, ISBN 9781604697490 https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/30086358
Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes (2015) by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West. ISBN: 9781604695533, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/24944955
Go Native! Gardening with Native Plants and Wildflowers in the Lower Midwest (1999) by Carolyn Harstad, ISBN 9780253213020, https://www.abebooks.com/9780253213020/Native-Gardening-Plants-Wildflowers-Lower-0253213029/plp
Got Sun? 200 Best Native Plants for Your Garden (2013) by Carolyn Harstad, ISBN 9780253009319, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1707624-got-sun
Got Shade? A “Take It Easy” Approach for Today’s Gardener (2003) by Carolyn Harstad, ISBN 9780253216250, https://www.abebooks.com/9780253216250/Got-Shade-Take-Easy-Approach-0253216257/plp
Native Plants of the Midwest: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 500 Species for the Garden (2016) by Alan Branhagen, ISBN 9781604695939, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/28009891
The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden (2014) by Roy Diblik, ISBN 9781604693348, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17818439
Planting: A New Perspective (2013) by Piet Oudolf, Noel Kingsbury, ISBN 9781604693706, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/15953900
Principles of Ecological Landscape Design (2013) by Travis Beck, ISBN 9781597267014, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/15809829
The Garden Awakening: Designs to Nurture our Land and Ourselves (2016) by Mary Reynolds, ISBN 9780857843135, https:// www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/25362911
Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update (2004) by Donella Meadows, ISBN 9781931498586, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/705418.The_Limits_to_Growth
Homescape Rewilding (2021) by Richard and Annette Rubin, ISBN 978-1737810902, http://nighthawkpress.com/titles/homescape-rewilding/
Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design (2023) by Benjamin Vogt, ISBN 9780252086779, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60557761
Naturalistic Planting Design (2019) by Nigel Dunnett, ISBN 9780993389269, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/42550513
Going Native: Small Steps to a Healthy Garden (2013) by Tammie Painter, ISBN 9781492114635, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18395383-going-native
How to Get Your Lawn off Grass: A North American Guide to Turning Off the Water Tap and Going Native (2002) by Carole Rubin, ISBN 9781550172591, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14328.How_to_Get_Your_Lawn_off_Grass
The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden (2014) by Rick Darke & Douglas W. Tallamy. ISBN: 9781604694086, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18266943
Planting Noah’s Garden: Further Adventures in Backyard Ecology (1997) by Sara Bonnett Stein. ISBN: 0395709601, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/380440
Growing and Propagating Native Plants
Wildflowers: A Guide to Growing and Propagating Native Flowers of North America by William Cullina, https://www.amazon.com/Wildflowers-Growing-Propagating-Flowers-America/dp/BOO6TQV3X2
Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines: A Guide to Using, Growing, and Propagating North American Woody Plants by William Cullina, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/828976.Native_Trees_Shrubs_and_Vines
Native Ferns, Moss and Grasses by William Cullina, https://www.amazon.com/Native-Ferns-Grasses-William-Cullina/dp/0618531181
Native Gardening for Pollinators
100 Plants to Feed the Monarch (2021) by The Xerces Society. ISBN: 978-1-63586-273-7, https://gifts.xerces.org/products/100-plants-to-feed-the-monarch
100 Plants to Feed the Bees (2016) by The Xerces Society. ISBN: 1612127010, https://www.storey.com/books/100-plants-to-feed-the-bees/
Gardening for Butterflies (2016) by The Xerces Society. ISBN: 1604695986, https://www.abebooks.com/9781604695984/Gardening-Butterflies-Attract-Protect-Beautiful-1604695986/plp
Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife (2019) by The National Wildlife Federation. ISBN: 1580118186, https://www.abebooks.com/9781580118187/National-Wildlife-FederationR-Attracting-Birds-1580118186/plp
Pollinators of Native Plants: Attract, Observe and Identify Pollinators and Beneficial Insects with Native Plants (2014) by Heather Holm. ISBN: 0991356306, https://www.abebooks.com/9780991356300/Pollinators-Native-Plants-Attract-Observe-0991356306/plp
Our Native Bees: North Americas Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save Them (2018) by Paige Embry, ISBN 9781604697698, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/34303588
A Buzz in the Meadow (2014) by Dave Goulson. ISBN 9781250065889, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22857252-a-buzz-in-the-meadow
The Milkweed Lands: An Epic Story of One Plant: Its Nature and Ecology (2023) by Eric Lee-Mader, ISBN: 1635864364, https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-milkweed-lands-a-portrait-of-one-of-north-america-s-most-overlooked-plants-and-the-diverse-world-it-supports-eric-lee-mader/17212748?ean=9781635864366
Field Guides
A Field Guide to Eastern Butterflies (1998) by Paul Opler, ISBN 9780395904534, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1401548.A_Field_Guide_to_Eastern_Butterflies
Caterpillars of Eastern North America (2005) by David Wagner, ISBN 9780691121444, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181911.Caterpillars_of_Eastern_North_America
National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders (2007) by Arthur Evans, ISBN 9781402741531, https://www.abebooks.com/9781402741531/National-Wildlife-Federation-Field-Guide-1402741537/plp
Wildflowers of Ohio (2008) by Robert Henn, ISBN 9780253219510, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5372125-wildflowers-of-ohio
Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide (1989) by Lawrence Newcomb, ISBN 9780316604420, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/458626.Newcomb_s_Wildflower_Guide
A Peterson Field Guide to Wildflowers: Northeastern and North-central North America (1998) by Roger Tory Peterson & Margaret McKenny, ISBN 9780395911723, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/839432.A_Peterson_Field_Guide_to_Wildflowers