Arboriculture: Integrated Management of Landscape Trees, Shrubs, and Vines

As a certified arborist, this book is must for the library reference - more importantly, it is one of my textbooks for teaching at Temple University and for teaching at Longwood Gardens. This is one of the best sources for studying for the certified arborist exam. Buying this book is money well spent. I have two books, one for each of my offices.

This should be a required text for any Plant Bio or Hort student. An easy to understand scientific approach to arboriculture. It sets a standard that all arborists should follow. It also serves as a great reference for the novice and home gardener alike. This is not a book that just sits on a shelf. My copy is dogeared from use long after the classes and tests have ended.

Very complete and up to date information on Arboriculture. Chapters are well organized, highlighting what you need to know. Does a great job of covering the basics, but also gets into details and is fairly technical, without becoming unreadable. A must have reference book for the Landscaper.

Arboriculture is a science and art that is made up of many different contributing factors. This book does a very good job of covering them all. Any one of the chapters could be expanded into a book in itself. This thoroughly researched and written book is for the person who wants all of their information in one place. It is a textbook for the technically minded arborist, tree surgeon, tree farmer, or hobbyist. Don't look for this book to be entertaining or philosophical. Instead, buy this book for the knowledge held within. There is a lot to be learned from it. Every single page is filled with facts, figures, methods, and recommendations. You will find yourself reading every page a second or third time in order to catch it all. I refer back to this book on a regular basis, because there is no way I can remember it all. If you have any questions about the management of trees or shrubs, you will likely find it in this book.

Harris wrote the first edition of this book when trees were "trimmed" by the same people who patched asphalt and repaired park benches. It was a breath of rationality in a field that relied mostly on anecdotal information. The new edition reinforces this work as the compendium of current thinking about how to care for trees. Clark and Matheny build eloquently on Harris's solid foundation.The public participates actively in caring for trees and demands to know information found in this book. Why not plant the biggest caliper tree you can find? Can't you do something about the tree roots "breaking" up my sewer? Open the book and show them the brief but definitive answer that is easily found here. I wish more citizen tree advocates would read this book. For that matter, I wish more arborists would too.