Food Plants of the Sonoran Desert

I divide wild food books into two types: those based on personal experience (or at least that pretend to be), and those based on research of ethnology. Hodgson's book falls into the latter category, and I think it is the best such book ever written, at least for any part of North America. Food Plants of the Sonoran Desert covers hundreds of species--all or virtually all that are known or strongly suspected to be used (or have been used previously) for food in this region. The diversity of plants covered is amazing. Some are discussed with very short entries because little is known about their use, while others receive lengthy treatment (mesquite, acorn, Stenocereus cactus) because they were staple foods and much has been recorded about their use. The book is done in an admirable scholarly fashion - sources are not only cited, but contradicting sources are sometimes quoted in juxtaposition and discussed.To those who already have wild food field guides, you will be amazed at how many interesting and useful plants you'll find in this book that you might have never heard of. There are probably more species in here than in most field guides intended to cover the whole continent. (This should be a lesson for those unrealistic foragers who think they'll be able to find a field guide covering a whole continent or country (or even half of one) and thoroughly discuss every wild edible. It just can't fit in one book.) Of course, the Sonoran Desert is only a tiny fraction of the US, and this book also covers the Sonoran parts of Mexico, but many of the plants discussed range well outside this bioregion. I live 1,500 miles from the Sonoran desert and only get there about once every two years, but I still find it fascinating to read.This is a great book for those interested in natural history, plants, ethnobotany, and the Sonoran Desert in particular. For survivalists, it provides sufficient information for the plants to be actually utilized, at least in many cases.Although the photos are black and white, they are generally good. That said -- this is NOT AN ID GUIDE.I wish every bioregion had a book like this. But then again, the ethnographic record in the Sonoran is far better than that in many other parts of the continent.

Always on the alert for some new information, which I found here. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about wild foods. However, it is not a good idea to eat the plants now when climate change is already making life difficult for them. Knowledge gives confidence and survivability. It is simple enough for a child to read (with dictionary in hand), but also good detail and realistic assessment of what nutrients are provided. It is very important to be able to recognize plants, so as always go out with knowledgeable field person to learn too.

The reviews I read before buying this book forewarned me of its scholarly nature and lack of color photographs. I bought it anyway because I was pretty sure it would be a thorough compendium on the subject, and I was not disappointed. I do have some criticisms, though. In my opinion, the book was not written for the layman; I am not a botanist, and it launches off with terms like "gymnosperm, angiosperm, monocot, dicot"; and I didn't see any definitions or explanations. Also, plants I had seen in other sources I wanted to compare with her information, but I found common names different enough to make plants hard to find. But overall, I'm not sorry I bought the book, because I know as time goes on I will refer to it and find plenty of useful information.

Wow, a very interesting book. Being a native to Arizona the book is not only a great guide to the plants of Sonoran desert but it will really help you understand the many cultures that have lived here and that are here today.

A complete description of edible desert plants

This book, though a little scientific in its language for a lay person, is a wonderful source for discovering the food that is all around us in the Sonoran Desert. I will use this book as a "map" of sorts through my home yard and wilder desert locations. Impressive!

This is not an "edible plants" field guide. It is an in depth review of Arizona, Sonora, and Baja desert plants useful as food and for other purposes. It is useful for building short term survival skills, for adding desert plants to ones diet, and as an ethnologic look at the indigenous population of the Sonoran Desert. It is an excellent book and one I am very happy to own.

I found this book to be very well researched and written. For the price I would(and did) expect color photos; a black and white photo backed up with a drawing of the plant just does not cut it and leaves lots of room for question. This is one aspect of the book that has me really disappointed!