Trees of Pennsylvania: A Complete Reference Guide [Hardcover]

Ann Fowler Rhoads (Author), Timothy A. Block (Author), Anna Anisko (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812237854 | ISBN-13: 978-0812237856 | Publication Date: November 16, 2004

Black maples can tower to eighty-five feet. Artisans craft fine musical instruments from the wood of native red spruces. And in autumn, the leaves of sugar maples turn brilliant orange-gloriously coloring Penn's Woods. The naturalist, forester, or weekend observer will discover all this and more in Trees of Pennsylvania.

Written by botanists at the Morris Arboretum, the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, this is the most comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible field and natural history guide to the state's tree life. Ann Rhoads and Timothy Block cover all of Pennsylvania's 195 trees, both native and naturalized. Each species is described in a concise, tabular format that includes the characteristics of leaves, branches, bark, flowers, and fruits. The authors discuss flowering and fruiting time, autumn leaf color, and the size of the largest specimen recorded within the state. Rhoads and Block further provide valuable historical, ecological, and economic information on each tree species, including how Pennsylvania's trees were used by Native Americans and early European settlers.

This fully illustrated, user-friendly volume contains a combination of line drawings by botanical artist Anna Anisko, color photographs, range maps, and identification keys so readers will be able accurately to identify each tree species. It also offers useful information on the biology of trees, the history of Pennsylvania's many forests, and important lists of the endangered, threatened, and rare trees within the state. This is an indispensable guide for anyone interested in Pennsylvania's natural history and tree life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Authoritative and accessible."—Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society

From the Publisher

At the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Ann Rhoads is Senior Scientist of the Pennsylvania Flora Project, Timothy Block is Director of Botany, and Anna Anisko is Botanical Illustrator. They previously collaborated on The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual, also available from the University of Pennsylvania Press.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (November 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812237854
• ISBN-13: 978-0812237856
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #341,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trees of Pennsylvania, February 25, 2006

By 

Paul G. Wiegman "Naturalist/Photographer/Writer" (Glenshaw, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trees of Pennsylvania: A Complete Reference Guide (Hardcover)

The Trees of Pennsylvania is the best reference text for the tree flora of the state. It is written by two outstanding botanists who have visited all of Pennsylvania and are very familiar with the species and the forests of the region. This is a reference text and not a field guide. However, it is a book that you must have if you intend to learn the trees of PA. The text is well written, it is detailed as to the descriptions and identification of species, pages contains range maps that were derived from herbarium specimens not taken from other references, and there are an assortment of outstanding photographs and line drawings. If you're interested in Pennsylvania natural history and trees, this is a MUST HAVE.

Paul g Wiegman

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make Like a Tree and Grow, August 1, 2008

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Trees of Pennsylvania: A Complete Reference Guide (Hardcover)

This is the essential guide on trees found in Pennsylvania, and the information herein will be of immense use for both the scientifically inclined and the rambling outdoor lover. Included are both native trees and species that have been imported, with natural histories on how particular species arrived in our Commonwealth. All the basic botanical information is here, along with helpful illustrations of leaves, bark, flowers, and other features, which will be a boon to anyone observant enough to use the book as a field guide. An especially interesting aspect of the book is information on uses of most of the tree species by Native Americans for food and medicine, indicating a staggering wealth of homeopathic knowledge that should be rediscovered by modern society. Also useful is an extensive table at the end of the book that will help you identify trees based on a variety of observable characteristics. There are a lot of tree guides available, but this one will please its intended audience with its in-depth focus on Pennsylvania's natural history and ecology. Furthermore, the vast amount of information herein will easily trump most similar guides. [~doomsdayer520~]

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference, April 28, 2007

By 

S. Smith "Quality counts" (West Chester, Pa United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Trees of Pennsylvania: A Complete Reference Guide (Hardcover)

This book is a bit expensive. However, if you have an above interest in trees, this is a must have book. It's the one book I continue to return to for details, guidance, and reference. It's well written and also feels good in the hands for just casual reading.