A local plant field guide is only useful when a reader can connect a description to the right species and understand where and when the observation was made. Start with a consistent field record for every entry, keep uncertain identifications marked as uncertain, and test the finished pages with someone who did not help compile them.
This workflow is for an observational guide based on photographs, notes, and properly authorized specimens. Collection rules differ by land, location, and species. Do not remove plants or publish sensitive locality details unless you have checked the applicable permissions and conservation guidance.
1. Define a clear boundary for the guide
Choose a practical area and scope: a school garden, a town park, a trail network, or plants observed in a particular season. Write down the boundary and what counts as an entry. For example, decide whether you are including only wild plants, cultivated plants, trees, or all visible vascular plants.
Make a list of the species you hope to include, but do not promise a complete flora unless you have conducted a suitably comprehensive survey. A small guide with a clear scope and carefully checked entries is more trustworthy than a broad list with uncertain identifications.
2. Use one field-record template
Give every observation a unique record ID and collect the same core fields:
- record ID and observer;
- date observed and a concise locality description;
- coordinates only when appropriate to publish;
- habitat or growing context;
- visible features used for identification;
- photo filenames or authorized specimen number;
- provisional name, confidence level, and who verified it;
- notes about uncertainty, season, or look-alike species.
GBIF’s data guidance emphasizes structured fields for dates and geographic coordinates. Even if your book is not being published as a scientific dataset, a consistent record makes it easier to check each caption and trace a printed claim back to your notes.
3. Photograph features that help identify the plant
A flower portrait alone may not show enough for identification. When possible, record the whole plant and the features your source key asks you to compare, such as leaf arrangement, stem, flower cluster, fruit, or bark. Capture more than one angle, and include a scale reference when size matters.
Name images with the record ID, for example OBS-014-whole-plant.jpg and OBS-014-leaf-detail.jpg. Keep the original image and a separate crop or edited copy. Do not erase a feature or add an illustrative detail to an image presented as a field photograph.
If the plant is rare or vulnerable, do not assume its exact coordinates should be printed. Follow relevant local conservation advice and consider using a generalized locality such as a broad region rather than a precise point.
4. Verify the scientific name and show uncertainty honestly
Record the name used by the identification source you consulted, the source date, and the name authority when available. Kew’s Plants of the World Online draws on the World Checklist of Vascular Plants and explains that accepted names and synonyms can change as taxonomic research develops. Check the current record when preparing the book, and preserve a note of the name used in the field when it differs from the current accepted name.
Use a clear status such as “verified,” “probable,” or “unresolved” in your working spreadsheet. Do not put a tentative identification in the same visual style as a confirmed one without an explanation. If two similar species cannot be distinguished from your evidence, describe the uncertainty rather than guessing.
5. Collect specimens only with permission
Photographs and notes may be enough for a community guide. If physical specimens are necessary, first check the rules for the land and species, obtain landowner permission and permits where required, and keep copies with your records. Smithsonian’s guide for submitting herbarium specimens lists collector, date, locality, field number, and specimen description among the label information and stresses applicable permissions.
Never dig up or cut a plant simply to improve a page. For protected, rare, or unfamiliar plants, consult the relevant local authority or a qualified botanist before collecting or sharing precise locations.
6. Design entries readers can compare
Use a repeatable entry layout with:
- common name and verified scientific name;
- one main image and one or two feature details;
- short identification cues in consistent order;
- habitat and observation season;
- look-alikes or identification limits;
- record ID and source/verification note.
Keep text labels attached to their images and avoid relying on color alone to convey a key distinction. Add a contents page or index organized by common name and scientific name so readers can search either way. Include a note that common names may vary across regions.
7. Test the guide with real identification tasks
Give a test reader an unlabeled photograph from your guide and ask them to find the matching entry using the contents or index. Then give them the entry and ask which visible feature supports the identification. Record where the reader hesitates or finds two entries that look equally plausible.
Before approving the print proof, check every name, italicization, image ID, date, locality wording, and cross-reference against the field-record spreadsheet. Print a few dense pages at final size and inspect small labels, fine details, contrast, and page margins. Confirm the printer’s current file specifications before exporting the full book.
Before you print
Prepare the interior PDF, cover if available, final size, page count, and destination country. Your Book Bound’s published $99 offer covers one standard hardcover, manual file review, layout and cover support, proof revisions, and standard tracked worldwide delivery. Confirm unusual paper, size, or binding requirements before ordering.
For a free file check, submit your field guide files here. Include the intended size, page count, destination country, and expected date so the team can review the files and confirm next steps.
Official references
- Smithsonian: Guide to collecting plant specimens for the U.S. National Herbarium — field notebook and specimen label information, plus permission reminders.
- Kew: About the World Checklist of Vascular Plants — expert-reviewed names, accepted-name decisions, and taxonomic sources.
- GBIF: Guide for publishing biological survey and monitoring data — structured observation dates and locality fields, including sensitive-data considerations.
- National Archives: Digitizing family papers and photographs — careful image capture and retaining originals.