The Sibley Guide to Trees

The definitive field guide to the trees of North America, featuring maps, detailed illustrations, and information on more than 600 species of trees, from the preeminent, bestselling author and illustrator

“A beautiful, masterful, and much-needed work that will henceforth be our guide to the North American trees.”—Edward O. Wilson

The Sibley Guide to Trees is an astonishingly elegant guide to a complex subject. It condenses a huge amount of information about tree identification—more than has ever been collected in a single book—into a logical, accessible, easy-to-use format.

With more than 4,100 meticulous, exquisitely detailed paintings, the Guide highlights the often subtle similarities and distinctions between more than 600 tree species—native trees as well as many introduced species. More than 500 maps show the complete range, both natural and cultivated, for nearly all species. No other guide has ever made field identification so clear.

Highlighted features include:
• leaves (including multiple leaf shapes and fall leaf color)
• bark
• needles
• cones
• flowers
• fruit
• twigs
• silhouettes

Trees are arranged taxonomically, with all related species grouped together. By focusing on the fundamental characteristics of, for example, oaks or chestnuts or hickories, the Guide helps the user recognize these basic species groups the same way birders recognize thrushes, warblers, or sparrows. In addition, there are essays on taxonomy, on the cultivation of trees, and on conservation issues, reflecting Sibley’s deep concern with habitat preservation and environmental health.

An important contribution to our understanding of the natural world, The Sibley Guide to Trees is a necessity for every tree lover, traveler, and naturalist.

David Allen Sibley began seriously watching and drawing birds in 1969, at age seven. Since 1980 he has traveled throughout the North American continent studying the natural world, both on his own and as a leader of bird-watching tours. This intensive travel and study culminated in the publication of his comprehensive guide to bird identification, The Sibley Guide to Birds, followed by The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior, Sibley’s Birding Basics, The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, and The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.