This list includes books on true aquatic plants, such as seaweeds, as well as surface-dwelling plants, plants that grow in shallow water, and plants that are most often found in or at the boundaries of wetlands.

Note: book cover sizes in the list below are shown relative to each other. The list is organized by primary author. Some out-of-copyright books are available free at the supplied links. Where possible, range maps are taken directly from the books.

If you have noticed that this list is a bit short, it is because I haven’t started wading into rivers yet. Sooner or later though...

Book of Swamp and Bog

Author(s): Eastman, John; illustrated by Hansen, Amelia

Publisher: Stackpole Books, 1995

View at: Amazon.com

Comments: Describes "trees, shrubs, and wildflowers of eastern freshwater wetlands." This book, and others in the series, is not a guide in the traditional sense. It describes a relatively small number of common species in their full ecological context, providing deeper insight into the world that surrounds each plant. The author lists birds and other associated animals; insects that feed on (or in some cases are digested by) the plants; pollinators and gall-producing insects; and fungal threats. Descriptions are rich with detail, but not overly technical. 237 pages.

Eastern North America

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast

Author(s): Pojar, Jim; MacKinnon, Andy

Publisher: Lone Pine, 1994

View at: Amazon.com

Comments: Describes 794 species, including trees, shrubs, wildflowers, aquatic plants, grasses, ferns, mosses and lichens. Includes 1100 color photos and 1000 line drawings and silhouettes. While many field guides cover wider regions and larger numbers of species, this provides deeper detail about each species in the more restricted region. If you search for wildflowers only in this region, this may be the only resource you need, and it is an excellent complement to other guides if you need to identify plants from a wider or different area. Includes keys that require moderate, but not advanced, understanding of botanical terminology. 528 pages.

Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska, from the coast to the mountains.