I'm always hear for medicinal plants. [Southwest Medicinal Plants by John Slattery]

The Southwest is ripe with wild edibles, no matter the season. From deserts to grasslands, river canyons to forests, a rich harvest of tasty plants—many found only in this region—awaits the curious forager. In Southwest Medicinal Plants, herbalist, educator, and lecturer John Slattery shares his expert foraging knowledge, including traditional methods of gathering and processing. Savor fresh mulberries along the trail, or blend them with foraged nuts and seeds for snacking. Enjoy a simple but delicious sun tea made from desert willow flowers. Along the way, learn what to look for, when and where to look, and how to gather the abundant wild edibles of the Southwest responsibly. An A-to-Z guide for foraging year-round; Detailed information for safe identification; Suggestions for sustainable harvesting; Tips on preparation and use Thorough, comprehensive, and safe, this is a must-have for foragers, naturalists, and herbalists in Arizona, southern California, southern Colorado, southern Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, western and central Texas, and southern Utah.

From the title of John Slattery's Southwest Medicinal Plants I expected a compendium of plants used for medicinal purposes. For the most part that's what I got, and I'm happy with the degree to which that criteria was met. What I'm less happy with is the filter through which I got it. The layout and the visuals of the book were inviting and engaging and each respective plant entry satisfactorily informative.

But the title is a little ambiguous. Southwest to where? The United States. And so I thought this was to be a compendium of native plants where it turned out to be more a compendium of southwest local plants. When reading a book about medicinal plants in the southwestern United States it was a  bit weird to see entries for naturalized plants. And there's the obvious metaphor about the populace, but should I be happy with that metaphor? In this context? But honestly that's fine, I'm hear to learn. Still the filter of generations of post-colonial European herbalism was an interesting one.

In the end I learned a lot and I think this would be a solid book to have on hand for referencing. I do wish the formatting of each plant entry was a bit more categorical for easier referencing, but I do think the target audience here is more likely than not one familiar with this brand of herbalism. And so I enjoyed this text and I am giving it 4 stars.

Southwest Medicinal Plants was published February 2020.