No,
we didn't have a baby but something much better than that entered the
household over the holidays - Michael Dirr and Keith Warren's new book The Tree Book.
It is a massive book - 940 pages and covers 2400 tree species and
cultivars. It isn't a book that you can curl up in bed with, as I love
to do, but it looks nice on the coffee table and it is excellent
browsing material. It is a reference book for the plant professional
(all nurseries should get a copy) or tree-loving plant geeks like
myself.
Each
entry gives detailed information about foliage and flower
characteristics, native range, adaptability, landscape use, street tree
use and descriptions of cultivars commonly seen in trade. The photos are
most helpful and usually include multiple views of the entire tree seen
from a distance as well as close-up shots of leaves and flowers.
The
information in the book is valuable although you will have to read the
individual entries closely for information concerning what areas of the
country is best suited for the tree. Sometimes, only a climate zone is
given, which is often inadequate. A map or even charts with references
to ideal locations would have been helpful.
Although the book contains a huge number of trees, you will not find everything. For example, I did not find an entry for Embothrium coccineum
(Chilean Flame Tree) but that is a tree that only grows in this region
of the U.S. On the other hand, though, another Pacific Northwest
resident, the Eucryphia is listed.
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver,
Dirt Therapy
It is a massive book - 940 pages and covers 2400 tree species and
cultivars. It isn't a book that you can curl up in bed with, as I love
to do, but it looks nice on the coffee table and it is excellent
browsing material. It is a reference book for the plant professional
(all nurseries should get a copy) or tree-loving plant geeks like
myself.
, I know this will be a book I will return to again and again.
I laughed at the beginning of this post. Too funny...
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a book I would love to peruse on a snowy winter day.
Its important to see a tree in multiple seasons and stages to get a real sense of it, and how it will fit in a space, be it our garden or a park. I often fall in love with a closeup picture of bark, only to realize it belong to a massive specimen I should never plant in my own garden :-D This book is a wonderful resource.
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