Back in print at last in a third edition, the classic Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa now has a wealth of full-color photographs and updated, reorganized information that will please both new and returning readers.
Part 1 of this guide focuses on identification, with user-friendly keys to both summer and winter trees and illustrated descriptions of more than one hundred common species. The trees are arranged according to similarities in foliage; each entry includes a large scan of a leafy branch along with two or three smaller photos of buds, flowers, fruits, and winter twigs. The text contains a description of the species, its geographical distribution, and notes on how to distinguish it from similar species. Part 2 is divided into conifers and flowering trees and includes all trees native to Iowa, trees that are widely planted, invasive species, some less commonly planted trees, and tall native shrubs that might be mistaken for trees. The authors provide information about the natural history of individual trees, their ecological requirements, pests and diseases that affect them, and their usefulness for such different purposes as windbreaks, landscaping, wildlife plantings, fuel, lumber, and food. Following these two main parts, three shorter sections describe the planting and care of trees, Iowa’s forest communities, and good places to see trees in the state; a glossary and a bibliography are also included.
A complete guide to Iowa’s trees, both native and introduced, full of hundreds of color photos, this new edition of Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa will be immensely useful to arborists, foresters, horticulturists, landscape architects, gardeners, and all Iowans and midwesterners who appreciate the beauty and value of trees and want to learn more about them.
“Amateur naturalists, professional scientists, and landowners in Iowa and beyond—in fact, tree lovers everywhere—will enjoy this much-anticipated update of a widely used classic. There is no better way to learn about the surprising diversity of trees in our prairie state than to have a copy of this book in your library or preferably in your hands while exploring woods, fields, backyards, and roadsides. Peter van der Linden and Donald Farrar have once again combined their talents, knowledge, and love of natural history to renew this enduring reference.”—John Pearson, ecologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
“Since it was first published in 1984, Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa has been the definitive reference for Iowa’s trees and larger shrubs. In this third edition, the book’s information has been expanded, freshly rearranged, and augmented with all-color photographs, making it even more accessible to the lay public as well as professional botanists. With the increasing attention now being paid to Iowa’s woodland communities and their ecological importance, this book belongs on the desk of everyone who works—or plays—with trees and shrubs in Iowa.”—Cornelia F. Mutel, author, The Emerald Horizon: The History of Nature in Iowa
