200 pages | paperback | A5
Available from the author via email, rustleinthetrees@outlook.com
$28 plus postage of $8.40
Please ask Rusty about bulk rates.
Weedlings and Seedlings is a catchy title for this simple to understand yet detailed book. Rusty admitted to me that he is no expert, and this book is designed to help people that wish to solve the age-old dilemma, is it a weed or a native? It is very common to hear people discussing this in the bush regeneration field, and often those involved are volunteers that are faced with thousands of natives and many weed species. Trying to make sense of emerging plants can be an overwhelming job for people.
There is a real difficulty in telling some native species from weed species at the seedling stage. Rusty has aimed this book at comparing similar species of natives and weeds. He says it is important to know the weeds on site and close by, as this narrows the number of species on site you need to deal with.
Another important piece of advice in the book is “leave it if you’re not sure”, let it grow a little larger before deciding to remove it. The book has a pictogram legend that is simple to understand, e.g. leaf margins, habitat, colour coding, and a section on colour coding leaf arrangements, and of plant forms.
Each page is coloured either green for seedlings or red for weedlings. Each page has a simple habitat description and shows the leaf arrangement, leaf margins, colour of fresh new growth, leaf veins, colour of underside of the leaves, scent of crushed leaves, white or clear sap, spines, thorns and stinging hairs. At the back of the book is a glossary of botanical terms to assist.
I see this book as a first of its kind. It combines natives and weeds together and should be essential for all bush regenerators. It will also be incredibly valuable for Land for Wildlife members who are restoring their properties and want to encourage the natural regeneration of native plants.
Review by Martin Bennett