DIY Homeschooler

Tools for the Homeschool Handy-Mom

100 Desert Wildflowers {Free eBook}

The end of summer is a great time to learn about desert plants! 100 Desert Wildflowers by Natt N. Dodge is a free public domain eBook that will introduce your child to plants he may not be familiar with. If you don’t live in a desert region you may assume the desert is dry and sandy…and barren — a misconception this book attempts to correct:

When Webster defined a desert as a “dry, barren region, largely treeless and sandy” he was not thinking of the 50,000 square mile Great American Desert of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Most of it is usually dry and parts may be sandy, but as a whole, it is far from barren and treeless. Heavily vegetated with gray-green shrubs, small but robust trees, pygmy forests of grotesque cactuses and stiff-leaved yuccas, and myriads of herbaceous plants, the desert, following rainy periods, covers itself with a blanket of delicate, fragrant wildflowers.

100 Desert Wildflowers begins with explaining why and when deserts bloom. Then it jumps right into a color guidebook that tells a bit about each plant along with its scientific and common names. If you are using the book as an identification guide, you’ll find the index and additional resources helpful.

Also of interest are tips at the beginning of the book on how to photograph desert flowers.

For those with a bigger interest you may also enjoy Flowers of the Southwest Deserts by the same author, which includes more information on desert locations and plant favorites along with beautiful black-and-white illustrations (see resources below).

Free eBook

Suggestions

Make a cactus notebook. Illustrate a favorite cactus for the cover.
Include a page for each desert wildflower listed.
Grow your own! (Your best bet may be to buy a variety from a local market, as starting desert plants from seed is very difficult.)