The Alps are home to some of the most remarkable wildflowers on earth, and knowing what you are looking at transforms any mountain day. This compact pocket field guide from alpine expert Gillian Price covers the most commonly found alpine flower species, designed to slip into a pack pocket and be pulled out on the hillside when something catches your eye.

Gillian Price's trusted Cicerone field guide covers 230 alpine flowers with clear photographs, identification notes and fascinating background on the plants themselves. Arranged by colour for quick reference, it is designed for the non-specialist walker with a curiosity about the natural world around them.

• Flowers are organised by colour (red, yellow, blue, purple and white) for rapid identification in the field, so you can look up what you are seeing without needing prior botanical knowledge
• Each entry includes a clear photograph and concise description of the flower's key identifying features, alongside its name in English, Latin, German, French and Italian
• Fascinating notes on the origins of flower names and curious historical facts add depth to each entry, making this as enjoyable to read as it is useful in the field
• An introduction by Gillian Price explores the remarkable survival strategies of alpine flowers, from the Alpine Snowbell's natural antifreeze to the extraordinary adaptations that allow tiny plants to endure months beneath snow and temperatures as low as minus 25°C
• A glossary of flower parts, a full flower index by English and Latin name, and a directory of botanical gardens across the Alps complete the guide

A beautiful and practical companion for any mountain walker with an eye for the natural world. Never again wonder what that flower is.

Author Highlight

“It happens to all visitors to the European Alps – walkers, climbers and tourists alike. Engaged in a stiff climb, or a leisurely stroll along a mountain lane, and out of the corner of your eye, you spot a curious flowering plant. It may even be vaguely reminiscent of something in the garden at home. And you store the image away: ‘Must look that up when I get back’. The idea of this pocket guide is to act as a lightweight companion in the field, with colour-coded pages to make it easy to consult. With no pretence to be encyclopaedic, the guide focuses on the main flowers likely to be encountered and gives readers helpful pointers for distinguishing flowers that appear identical at first glance.”

- Gillian Price, author of Alpine Flowers

Glossary   

Introduction   

Survival Techniques
Reproduction   
Migration and Climate Change   
Naming   
Identification   
Distribution   

Flowers

Red   
Yellow   
Blue   
Purple   
White   

Appendices   

Botanical Gardens across the Alps   
Flower Index   
 

Seasons

Flowers don't begin appearing until early spring (March) at medium altitudes with the thaw under way. The whole brilliant show is in full swing up at high altitudes from June through to August/September, but many flowers also come out as late as October.

May 2014

Information update

Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.