The easy tree guide: common native and cultivated trees of the United States and Canada

A handy, portable, and comprehensive aid to swift and accurate identification in the field, this easy-to-use guide devotes an entire spread to each species. A color photograph of a tree or group of trees (plus a close-up of the bark) on the right-hand page show what the species looks like in its natural context. On the facing page, superbly detailed paintings illustrate foliage, blossom, and fruit, with notes on key characteristics that assist identification, and a scaled silhouette to give an indication of size. The accompanying text outlines the species' salient features, describes its range and habitat, and details its commercial or decorative uses.

The book covers 170 species, both indigenous to the United States and others that have been introduced, either for commercial forestry or for the decorative value of their flowers and foliage in gardens and parks. Many of these latter species have now "gone native" and are commonly found in woods and hedges alongside the native trees.

Author Keith Rushforth has written ten books, including The Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide to Trees, that cover both tree identification and gardening using trees and shrubs. An expert urban forester, he is a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Conifer Specialist Group.

Consultants for this book include Dr. Glenn D. Dreyer, Director, Connecticut College Arboretum and Deborah Gangloff, Executive Director, American Forests