Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 Take this with you on your next walk in the woods June 8, 2008
More than 700 species in 76 families are included in this comprehensive but compact field guide. Maps show the range, and the text includes scientific name, brief description, size, and use for each tree, all delightfully illustrated in color by Rebecca Merrilees. The introduction is followed by a guide to the tree families, and a section on basic features of trees, as an aid to identification. Each species is described within its family for ready comparison. Includes notes on exotic species, bibliography, index, and even a handy measuring guide.
 Great Guide May 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
My well-worn Golden Guide to Trees is a reliable source of information for tree identification. I have a couple of other guides but reach for the Golden Guide first because I find it easier to identify things from illustrations rather than photographs.
As with any guide one must learn how to use it properly. Familiarize yourself with the family descriptions and nomenclature featured in the front of the book.
Good reference and ID book December 10, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a great book to have for basic quick reference on trees and their identification. I've found it to be very valuable and accurate in the field. I believe this is one of the better field guides on trees, but I always cross reference to my copy of Peterson's Trees and Shrubs to make sure I have the correct plant. Since this book only covers trees, I would highly recommend having another guide that covers shrubs as well.
A true field guide - as good as it gets December 8, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is one of the best tree field guides I have ever used. Comparing this guide to the tree field guide published by Audubon, the paintings in the Golden guide display leaf features much more clearly than the photos used in the Audubon guide. Also, this guide covers over 500 species throughout the U.S. while similar pocket-sized field guides don't cover such a broad range. The descriptions of key tree features are concise and easy to read, perfect for quick identification, and for the most part simple enough for a younger audience to understand. Because this book is strictly a field guide, it would benefit the curious amateur botanist to pair it with a more scholarly work such as Thomas Elias' Complete Trees of North America or both volumes of Donald Culross Peatties' Natural History of Trees (Eastern and Western).
 Poor Choice for Tree Identification September 17, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Despite the excellent illustrations and detailed information, this is a POOR book for actually identifying an unknown tree from its foliage, bark, or other characteristics.
The book divides trees into their families. Unfortunately, this requires that you have some idea of what you are looking for before you start. There is no cross-reference to bark to reinforce a choice. Also, since it includes both Eastern and Western North American trees, one can easily make a false choice.
However, its handbook size is convenient for a carry along.
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