Books for Budding Tree Enthusiasts
Having a great passion for all things trees, I have an extensive personal tree reference library. I was recently asked, what are some of my favorite books for the budding tree enthusiast. That’s a great question and would depend a lot upon a person’s particular interests. Being a self-taught Arborist, my education began by reading literally everything I could get my hands on.
To begin, a good mechanic needs to understand an automobile’s systems, their parts and how they function, both individually and collectively. The same can be said for arborists and tree enthusiasts about trees. To truly appreciate trees (which are an awesome wonder of nature), it helps to know a little bit about tree parts, their functions and the scheme mother nature provided them.
Some of these titles are available for free as a PDF download, some will be available at your local library or ordered from a local bookshop. If those options fail, there’s a good chance you can find them on Amazon.
A Technical Reference Book Recommendation: The first book I would recommend is the Tree Biology Notebook by Richard C. Murray. It might be a little technical for newbies but is an excellent reference for understanding trees.
Iowa and Upper Midwest Tree Book Recommendations: Two excellent books on trees commonly found in Iowa and the upper Midwest are: Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa, by Peter Van Der Linden and Donald Farrar and Guide to Common Trees and Shrubs of Iowa, which is a free publication from Trees Forever based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Visual Tree Identification Book Recommendations: For tree identification purposes, the following two picture reference books are helpful. The Tree Identification Book, by George Edmonds and Trees of North America and Europe, by Roger Phillips.
Coffee Table Book Recommendations: Great coffee table books on fall tree color are, Autumn Leaves – A Guide to the Fall Colors of the Northwoods, by Ronald Lanner and Robert Baldwin, and Fall Foliage, by Charles W.G. Smith and Frank Kaczmarek.
Narrative, Research and Visual Storytelling Book Recommendations: Other great books to consider: Once Upon a Tree – Life from Treetop to Root Tips by James Nardie, The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wholleben, PersonaliTrees by Joan Klostermann Ketels, and Finding The Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard.
Tree Care and Maintenance Book Recommendation: For those interested in tree planting and maintenance, the USDA and US Forest Service provides a great resource as a downloadable publication titled The Tree Owner’s Manual.