The United Plant Savers group is dedicated to the "green medicine of plants," a natural approach to the healing benefits of our flora. One result of their efforts is this wealth of essays focusing on conservation issues and the cultivation and usage of native medicinal species. Informative and instructional, the compendium identifies at-risk plants, and encourages sound practices by all individuals and businesses that utilize herbs. The greater part of the book is organized into alphabetical entries for plants, from American Ginseng to Yerba Santa, a shrubby, aromatic evergreen. Appendixes include facts about seaweeds, plant nursery listings, planting guides, and resources, adding up to an important contribution to the literature of herbalism