The Sibley Guide to Trees by David Allen Sibley
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast:
The Sibley Guide to Trees by David Allen Sibley
Although this book was published in 2009, it is one of the best tree-reference books available.
This book has over 500 five-star reviews on Amazon, and it's easy to see why—it's laid out in such an accessible way that it's effortless to use.
I keep one tucked in my garden bench in the garage because I love keeping this guide handy.
And I should mention that it's called the Sibley Guide to Trees because David Alan Sibley wrote it. If that name's familiar, he is the bird guide, author, and illustrator. So you have those side-by-side bird identification and tree identification skills — and they go together.
David Sibley applies the same approach he used with birds for the equally complex subject of tree identification.
And if trees are a challenge for you, you will appreciate the over 4,000 illustrations in this guide.
And I had to chuckle just a bit after reading an Amazon Q&A with David Alan Sibley about this book.
They asked him,
Were there significant differences in writing this book vs. the Guide to Birds?
I got a kick out of David's answer:
The obvious difference is that trees are much easier to find. When I needed to study a particular species of tree I could just walk right up to it and spend as much time investigating it as I needed.
Birds are more elusive.
I had to spend years in the field in order to build up enough observation time to draw them well.
I thought David's response was such a clue to the rest of us regarding tree identification because David spends time with trees. I can't tell you how many people I've helped identify a tree over the years after they spent one or two seconds looking at a single leaf.
Trees can offer us many more clues than just their leaf for identification.
And this leads to another question that Amazon asked David: What would you say to someone who is a beginner at tree identification?
David said,
The first thing I suggest is to spend some time with the guide. Try to become familiar with the characteristics of certain trees. Then go through the book and mark all the species that occur in your area.
This will help you become familiar with the range of species that could be present so when you see an odd leaf shape, fruit, flower, bark pattern, etc.--even if you can’t remember the name--you can remember seeing it in the guide.
Since trees are so easy to approach, you can simply take a photo of the key parts of any tree, or pick up a leaf or other part that has fallen on the ground, and identify it at your leisure.
They key identifiers will always be the shape, color and size of leaves; the color and shape of twigs; the color and texture of bark; and the tree’s overall size and shape as well as habitat, any fruit or flowers, and the timing of seasonal changes.
For example, in late May in the northeast, if you see a pale-barked tree with small silvery leaves just emerging (while other trees have well-developed green leaves) you can be virtually certain that is a Bigtooth Aspen.
A multi-trunked, spreading tree in wetter soils, with clusters of straw-colored fruit hanging from the twigs all winter, is almost certainly a female Boxelder.
So a couple of great examples from David on tree identification and some great tips to keep in mind. Tree ID is often way more than just looking at a single leaf. Take your time. Look at all the different aspects of the tree and take tons of pictures.
And now, with the iPhone, you can take a picture of any plant or any part of a plant, any leaf, and then press a little info icon, and then it will ask you right there if you want help with plant identification. That particular part of the photos app has been beneficial — and, I have to say, surprisingly accurate. So be sure to give that a try if you haven't yet.
This book is 426 pages of tree identification highlighting over 600 tree species.
And it's one of my favorite guides.
SI HORTUM IN HORTORIA PODCASTA IN BIBLIOTEHCA HABES, NIHIL DEERIT.
