A newly expanded and revised edition of the bestselling field guide to more than 150 edible and medicinal plants and fungi that grow wild throughout the west coast of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest states.

The coastal Pacific Northwest of North America is home to a multitude of edible and medicinal plant species, marine plants, and edible mushrooms—from Black Gooseberry to Western Tea-Berry, from Golden Chanterelle to Yellow Morel Mushroom, and from Sea Asparagus to Winged Kelp. Now revised and updated with additional species and recipes, this compact, full-colour forager’s guide offers clear photography, descriptions, safety tips and warnings, as well as culinary and medicinal uses from both Indigenous and settler traditions, for every type of wild-growing flora species in the region. Practical, user-friendly, and safe, Edible and Medicinal Flora of the West Coast is an indispensable guide for beginner and experienced foragers alike.

Collin Varner is a horticulturalist/arboriculturalist. Over his forty-year career, he worked at the University of British Columbia’s Botanical Garden, assumed responsibility for conserving 25,000 trees across campus, and taught courses in native plant studies. Now retired, Varner is an avid photographer, world traveller, and bestselling author of a series of nature guidebooks, including The Flora and Fauna of Coastal British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, Edible and Medicinal Flora of the West Coast, Invasive Flora of the West Coast, and the award-winning The Flora and Fauna of Stanley Park.

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“Edible and Medicinal Flora of the West Coast is well-written and thoughtful while also leaving room for the individual to build a relationship with nature, and to also further their research by combining it with other resources that they may use to ID wild native plants.”
—Sen’ákw, Senaqwila Wyss, Squamish Nation ethnobotanist

“This book is a potpourri of plant knowledge – to enjoy out in the wild, in your own backyard and kitchen, or sitting at the fireside. The accompanying photos, most by the author, are spectacular. From ocean to forest, from orchard to garden, plants valued by humans everywhere are celebrated here.”
—Nancy J. Turner, Professor Emeritus, University of Victoria

“Edible and Medicinal Flora of the West Coast is a clear, concise and beautifully photographed guide to coastal plants. It is one I intend to keep on my shelf of frequently consulted books.”
—Dan Jason, author of Some Useful Wild Plants and Medicinal Herbs to Know and Grow