Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center (Johnston County, North Carolina; “Howell Woods”) is “the most significant terrestrial natural area in the county,” as designated by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. Comprising 1,155 ha, the site is one of the largest remaining tracts of intact forest in the county. Howell Woods supports ten natural plant communities and numerous rare plant species.

Guide to the Vascular Flora of Howell Woods provides a comprehensive checklist of the flora compiled from the first author’s collections, historical collections, and species reports from the site. The illustrated guide is based on a checklist of over 580 species in 123 families and includes 108 new county records. Keys are provided to all vouchered or reported species and genera, with notes on habitat, exotic status, flowering and fruiting phenology, abundance, synonymy, and voucher information. This is the first volume in the Illustrated Floras of North Carolina Project from the North Carolina State University Vascular Plant Herbarium (NCSC), designed for both botanical specialists and general audiences.