Tree I.D. Books

[sprucebunny]

I don't know how to start apoll but I'd Really like to know what your favorite tree ( & shrub ) I.D. book is and why.
I like thr one by Petrides because it's fairly complete and has wonderful silouette drawings of trees. I like "Forest and Thicket" because it tells alot about habitat preferences and more than just the species physical characteristics but it dosen't have everything. The Audubon book is o.k. but kind of minimal. Just got 2 new ones but can't comment yet. Tell me what you like!!

[SwampDonkey]

Sprucebunny:

George Petrides Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs is the best you'll find.  Its sponsored by Audubon. I don't care for Audubon books per se because the color photos don't describe much, but Petrides guide book stands above the rest. A talented artist with detailed sketches and keys to identify trees by leaves, twigs, buds, pith , flowers and fruit will teach you alot more about trees than color pictures with over exposure and poor brightness/contrasts. If you want a companion book to see its uses, habitat, range etc.. get one of the regional  Audubon Tree books.

cheers

[sprucebunny]

The copy I have of Geo. Petrides book  is copyright 1958 &1972 The wonderful drawings of tree's silouette's are by Roger Tory Peterson. He also drew the flowers & fruits. It is my favorite and the most complete; I guess I like it too much to keep in my car traveling. I was just wondering if I had missed a particularly good book . Have about 8 others: some for the photography like "Trees of N.America" by R. Phillips and several others that group plants by thier habitat or associates.
Though I think Petrides book is the best, I sometimes have a hard time finding things. Probably lack of practicing with it.

[SwampDonkey]

sprucebunny:

First thing is to become familiar with the parts of the plants and their terminology. And Petrides book is not quite to standards in his terminology. For instance his egg-shaped leave is termed ovate in forestry and his long-pointed leaf shape is linear lancelate. His twice-compound leaf is pinate and his fan-compound shape is palmate in forestry. If your looking for an excellent fruit/cone and twig key look for William Harlow's 'Fruit and Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs'. It has flower and twig parts defined. Published in 1959 , Lib of Congress #  59-9671  Dover Publishing, Inc.

[sprucebunny]

SwampDonkey-- Thanks for mentioning about the terminology. I'd been wondering about that especially 'pinate'. I'll look for the other book by Harlow.