New book extols the beauty of Arboretum prairie plants

People looking for a gift for the gardener or nature lover in their lives – especially one who is interested in prairies and prairie gardens – might consider the new “Prairie Plants of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum,” a beautiful and informative guide to the more than 360 native and introduced species that grow and bloom on the Arboretum’s prairies.

The 366-page book is intended to help readers recognize the plants on sight, increase awareness and respect for the small prairie remnants that remain, encourage prairie preservation and restoration, and promote the planting of native species in yards and gardens. It was written by Theodore S. Cochrane, senior academic curator of the UW–Madison Herbarium, and contains more than 1,200 full-color, detailed photographs and illustrations by Claudia Lipke and Candace Elliot of the Botany Department.

The book is available at the Arboretum bookstore and from the botany department, which is located in Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive on Bascom Hill. The cost is $29.75 for Friends of the Arboretum and $35 for the general public. It can be purchased online at http://www.uwarboretum.org/bookstore/. It is also available in some local bookstores.