Is that a silver wattle or a sourwood? Using the text, photographs, and illustrations in this book, you can identify 180 trees in the parks, woods, backyards, and streets of North America. Beginning with features that identify trees, such as shots and buds, leaves, needles, cones and flowers, the book shows how trees look in cultivated and native settings. Divided into separate sections for broadleaf and conifer trees, each entry gives trees' primary and alternate names, their history and uses, height, and close-up views of their leaves or needles, flowers, and bark. Especially helpful are the large photographs of full trees in cultivated and natural settings. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
A handy, portable, and comprehensive aid to swift and accurate identification in the field, this easy-to-use guide devotes an entire spread to each species. A color photograph of a tree or group of trees (plus a close-up of the bark) on the right-hand page show what the species looks like in its natural context. On the facing page, superbly detailed paintings illustrate foliage, blossom, and fruit, with notes on key characteristics that assist identification, and a scaled silhouette to give an indication of size. The accompanying text outlines the species' salient features, describes its range and habitat, and details its commercial or decorative uses.
The book covers 170 species, both indigenous to the United States and others that have been introduced, either for commercial forestry or for the decorative value of their flowers and foliage in gardens and parks. Many of these latter species have now "gone native" and are commonly found in woods and hedges alongside the native trees.
Packed with photographs, paintings, and easy-to-understand descriptive text, the Easy Tree Guide is a handy, portable and comprehensive aid to swift and accurate identification in the field--sure to be a welcome addition to every backpack and home library.
