Illustrated Book of Trees

overall it was fine but i bought it to get diagrams of whole trees, and there are zero in the book, only of leaves. so if you can get close enough to pick leaves the diagrams are great. i was trying to get great examples of trees for drawing; either with leaves or without, and all i got was leaves. oh well.

The illustrations are superb - very clear and well-drawn, making it easy to use as a reference for identifying trees. The paper is heavy, with a wonderfully velvety matte finish. But best of all, and what makes this a truly magical book, is that there is a sugar maple leaf pressed between the pages. How wonderful to have found a tiny bit of the world that crossed time and distance to find me.

My "Book of Trees" is a much older edition, worn and tattered, filled with personal notations and a thumbing index I made myself. And despite the fact it is quite a large book, it is often in my day pack and canoe, as smaller guides simply won't do. And though there are many colorful tree guides on the market filled with fancy photos; don't be fooled; the drawings in Grimm's book render more precisely the critical aspects for accurate tree identification--similar to the manner in which the Petersen Bird Guides (through paintings) delineate the truer, more typical specimen. While it is certainly advisable to have other guides for cross reference; and several of them are quite good; there is always the temptation to question yourself, "if I could only possess one, which would it be?" Of course, when it comes to tree identification and tree lore, it would be W.C. Grimms Book of Trees. Its usefulness in any season, its beautifully written, well researched text, its wealth of information, and its simplicity of use make it a downright indispensible guide. It is the only book of its kind that can be all these things and at the same time, simply fun to read. If you love nature, trees and wood, you'll love this book as I do.

The instructor I took field biology with in college highly recommended this book. He thought it was by far the best guide for identifying trees. Now, years later and having used (or attempted to use) many different field guides, I know why he was so crazy about this book. Winter or summer, if you are looking at the bark, leaf, or bud, the very clear and detailed pictures and unambiguous text will allow you to identify any tree with certainty.

This is an excellent and comprehensive book with detailed descriptions of trees by their leaves, flowers, fruits, buds,and bark. The trees are described in their summer and winter aspects. It is a fine reference book not a book to be used in the field to identify trees. You should have an idea which general family of tree you are looking at to narrow the search down as the trees are arranged according to family. At the beginning of each tree description is a section listing those characteristics that are most helpful in identifying the tree. There is also a section at the end comparing the tree to those with which it is most likely to be confused. A glossary of terms is given at the back of the book and dichotomous keys to the families are given at the front. At the beginning of each family more detailed dichotomous keys are given to help the reader distinguish one member of the family from another. Leaf shapes and edges as well as types of fruits, flowers, and buds are illustrated to help the reader understand terminology used in the descriptions Although trees of Eastern North America is the subject of the book, it is not devoted only to native trees of the area.

I bought my 1983 edition when I was active as a park district volunteer. What sold me on this book was that it went beyond the tree's identification, and told you more about the tree itself. For example, looking up the Sycamore it says "The Sycamore is also known as the Buttonwood, Buttonball-tree, and the American Plane Tree. It is one of the most massive of all our native trees, perhaps exceeding all others in the diameter of its trunk... The wood is heavy, hard, tough and coarse-grained; being difficult to work or split. It is used for furniture - both solid and veneer, interior finish, siding, musical instruments, boxes and crates. Practically all butcher's blocks are made from the Sycamore..." and so on.

Very nice book! The edition I own is the 1983 printing, so I am unfamiliar with recent changes. Book has good drawings of leaves (often several), fruits, twigs, buds and leaf scars. Excellent info on summer and winter identification included in text and step-by-step outlines. The step-by-step outline starts at the front of the book and helps you identify the family in which the tree in question belongs. Then turn to the section on that tree family for help isolating which species you have on your hands. There are good text descriptions throughout to aid identification as well as information on history, growth, and commercial uses of the trees. Not a field guide for the size and weight conscious though. Keep it in your living room or SUV.