Native Trees Shrubs, and Vines for Urban and Rural America: A Planting Design Manual for Environmental Designers [Hardcover]

Gary L. Hightshoe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471288799 | ISBN-13: 978-0471288794 | Publication Date: November 1, 1987 | Edition: 1

A basic planting design reference, this book provides the amateur, student, and professional with information that assists in simplifying plant-use decisions where native plants are desired. The characteristics, cultural requirements, and most suitable environmental settings are identified for each plant.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Urban and Rural America A Planting Design Manual for Environmental Designers Gary L. Hightshoe As environmental designers strive to maintain the ecological context of the landscapes they design, they are turning more and more to native plantings. Native plantings are hardier than more exotic imports, requiring less care. They mesh better with other natural elements of a landscape, such as soils, climate, and wildlife. And, popular misconceptions about their scraggly, disorganized look aside, they can be used to create stunning design effects. Until now, however, landscape designers had to search through many sources to find the native trees, shrubs, and vines appropriate to their particular environmental conditions as well as to the effect they want to achieve. This comprehensive volume puts all the information needed to choose native plantings in one handy reference source. The book is divided into two parts, Trees and Shrubs and Vines, with each part further divided into two sections. The first describes different factors normally considered in selecting plantings, classifying over 250 woody plants by these characteristics. Classifications include:

• Visual characteristics: form, branching, foliage, flower, fruit
• Ecological relationships: most suitable habitats, including flood and shade tolerance
• Cultural requirements: soil, hardiness, silvical characteristics, urban conditions, similar and associate species.

The second section is an encyclopedia of native woody plants. Each "master plate" includes the plant’s scientific and common names, plus all of the plant’s characteristics as described in the first section. Also included are a map showing the plant’s native regions: a drawing of its twigs, leaves, flowers, and fruits; a photo of its bark, and a photo or drawing of its crown without leaves. Thus, you can find the information you need in one of two ways: you can choose the plant characteristics you want and look them up in the first section to find the plantings that fit your needs. Or you can look up specific plants in the second section to learn if their characteristics are appropriate for your landscape. No other book on native plantings provides as much information, as usefully organized, as this one does. Landscape architects, ecologists, park personnel, botanists—anyone interested in natural landscaping—will find this to be an invaluable reference that greatly assists in choosing and nurturing native trees, shrubs, and vines.

About the Author

Gary L. Hightshoe is professor of Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University, Ames, where he teaches courses in plant materials, planting design, and landscape resource management. He obtained his B.S.L.A. and M.L.A. degrees from Iowa State University. His current research interests include the development of a regional guide to environmental settings and associations of plants for landscape use in the north-central states. He is a strong advocate of the accelerated inventory and preservation of rare and threatened ecosystems.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 832 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (November 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471288799
• ISBN-13: 978-0471288794
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #498,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Used Reference Book, January 24, 2000

By 

David E. Bailey (Buchanan,MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Native Trees Shrubs, and Vines for Urban and Rural America: A Planting Design Manual for Environmental Designers (Hardcover)

This book has excellent info on each plant within its text. I am a native plant landscape designer and soil requirements, natural habitats, associate plants (communities), urban tolerance, flower & fruit development are a few of the plant categories I use on a daily basis. The line drawings are also superb for knowing the form the plant will take in the landscape and how the flowers & fruit will appear. This book is used so much, my pages are starting to fall out. I hope they create a new version soon! This book is a 'must' for all landscape designers & architects --- it's a great tool.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference book (within its range), January 30, 2001

By 

Robyn Wilgus (Bentonville, AR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Native Trees Shrubs, and Vines for Urban and Rural America: A Planting Design Manual for Environmental Designers (Hardcover)

Overall, the information contained in the book is excellent. It is well-presented, well-organized, and very thorough. However, I was disappointed to find it is best suited for use by those who live in USDA Hardiness zone 5 or farther north. I live and work in zone 6, which is really the fringe of the area addressed in this book. Species native to the southeast are included only if they are hardy over a wide range. (For example, Southern magnolia is omitted in this book, as are loblolly and slash pines and yaupon holly.)

I have a degree in landscape architecture and prefer to use native plants in planting design. This book has been helpful, but will never replace my dog-eared copy of Know It and Grow It--a reference far more suited to my region.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent ink-line illustration;form, leaf, flower and fruit, November 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Urban and Rural America: A Planting Design Manual for Environmental Designers (Hardcover)

This comprehensive volume puts all the information needed to choose native plantings in one handy reference source. The book is divided into two parts, Trees, Shrubs, and Vines, with each part further divided into two sections. The first describes different factors normally considered in selecting plantings, classifying over 250 woody plants by these characteristics. Classifications include: Visual characteristics: form, branching, foliage, flower and fruit. ŠEcologicla relationships: most suitable habitats, including flood and shade tolerance. ŠCultural requirements: soil, hardiness, silvical characteristics, urban conditions, similar and associate species.

The second section is an encyclopedia of native woody plants. Each MASTER PLATE includes the plants scientific and common name, plus all of the plants characteristics as described in the first section. Also included are a map showing the plants native region; a drawing of its twigs, leaves, flowers, and fruit; a photo of its bark, and a photo or line drawing of its crown without leaves.

Thus, you can find the information you need in one of two ways: you can choose the plant characteristics you want and look them up in the first section to find the plantings that fit your needs. Or you can look up the specific plants in the second section to learn if their characteristics are appropriate for your landscape

No other book on native plantings provides as much information, as usefully organized, as this one does. Landscape architects, ecologists, park personnel, botanists Šanyone interested in natural landscapingŠwill find this to be an invaluable reference that greatly assists in choosing and nurturing native trees, shrubs, and vines.

harlen d. Groe