Trees, Beautiful Trees

by Guy Sternberg and Jim Wilson. Chapters Publishing, Ltd., Shelburne, Vermont, 1995. 288 pages; paperback $24.95.

Our accolades for this book cannot be overstated. Not only is this probably the most attractive book we have seen on the use of trees for landscaping, but it clearly reviews environmental considerations relating to the use of native trees and provides lots of practical information on how to succeed with more than 80 native species.

A native tree, says the book, is one that “has established itself and grows naturally, without human influence, in a particular location.” While the book covers the entire eastern U.S., most of the species covered are native to only a portion of that region. The advantages of landscaping with native trees are explained in the introductory chapters of the book. Because they are adapted to the local climate and have evolved with the local ecosystem over thousands of years, native trees require little care. With exotic species, on the other hand, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides are often needed, and in some cases you risk the escape of species that could upset the ecological balance.

The ethics of native tree landscaping are very well presented. The authors argue against collecting native trees from the wild except in certain specific situations, such as salvage before development and in areas with very thick seedling growth. Growing trees from collected seeds or propagating them from cuttings is usually fine. In most cases, the best practice is to purchase trees from nurseries that grew them from regionally sourced seeds. Another strategy, if you have the time, is to wait and see what comes up on cleared land through natural seeding, then selectively manage those species and individual trees that are desired.

Most of the book is comprised of detailed write-ups on selected trees, with 2 to 3 well-illustrated pages for each species. A wealth of information is provided on these trees, including detailed descriptions, information on record specimens, native and adaptive ranges, propagation and transplanting recommendations, typical problems, and available varieties or cultivars.

Fascinating bits of information can be found throughout the book. We are told, for example, that an extract from paw paw is being tested as a possible cancer remedy, that bitternut hickory is one of the best forest soil builders because of the mineral content of its leaves, that osage orange is the most decay-resistant of any of our native woods because of a natural fungicide in the wood: 2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxy­stilbene, and that a sycamore cut down in 1882 was the largest tree of any species known to have lived east of the Mississippi—with a height of 168 ft (50 m) and a trunk diameter of 15.5 ft (4.8 m). The authors present a wealth of information on which trees provide valuable food and habitat for birds, moths, and other wildlife. For tree-lovers in the eastern U.S., this is a must-have. It would make a great housewarming gift for your next client.