Looking for a Tree ID book

MikeSwim07

Hi,

I am looking for a good tree ID book/field guide. I live in Ohio.

I was looking on Amazon and there are so many different books all for my region of the US and I have no idea which one I should buy- most of them have great ratings. I was just hoping that someone here would be able to recommend one that they personally use.

Thanks

Eric Frei

How about this online resource I just found.

Ohio Trees Index

It's pretty good but you need to know the dang name first, but you can click them and get great pictures of everything you need.

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Brent Ferris

I use Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael Dirr - great reference book, b/w line drawings, lots of detail -- but you need to have some idea of what you are looking for, species, leaf arrangement etc. You also want to be sure the book has an excellent glossary. There are a lot of technical terms, and really good glossary is indispensable to learn about tree features. The terms are frustrating in the beginning, but not knowing what they mean is more so, Another book I use is Trees in Canada by J. Farrar - great pics, and detail -and it does have a key to identifying which species.
I would recommend you take a species identification course to learn the names and features of the most common trees in your area, and then buy the text you most like, if the text required for the course is not to your liking,
If money is an issue, there are often nature walks, and the leader often knows a number of trees and learning will progress more slowly, If you already have a reasonable grasp, go to a university or college bookstore where the campus offers a plant/tree identification course, and check out their books -- most are pricey, some are worth buying.
Are you going to use it mostly outside - a field guide is portable, and can be useful -- or at the computer - the full size books or pricier books are best here. The choice is large - if the college/university has a library, check out some of the books there, see if you can attend one of the lectures (pref outside) and talk to the lecturer and/or students about their preferences.

Personally, I like a book that has either colour pics or to scale b/w drawings, shows the leaves and leaf arrangement, the flower, fruit, good description for all the features, key features to look for, how to differentiate between species, hardiness range, and preferably an opinion about the species (Michael Dirr has most of these). Additionally a key to find the species is really handy to have, as long as some of the defining variations are not relative eg the leaves of one species are usually smaller than another species; or they are not so minute or obscure most people would be hard pressed to see the difference -. I haven't found one book that satisfies me all the time - so several are best. Find the one you most like, then slowly build your reference library. Also be sure the book is printed in North America - some of the books eg British look good, but their winters are not like ours, and will tell you how well a species grows, and here it does poorly

Hope this helps.

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Eden Keeper

Whatever the nearest university dendrology class is using for a textbook should be idea. For beginners the Golden Guide Books are good for the price as are the Peterson Field guides, which have better keys (unless changed in newer versions of the former), while the covers of Audubon guide books are best in inclement weather; the versions with shrubs would be preferable. I'd like to get a Sibley guide although it costs almost as much as the total for the other three. It really takes a library to cover everything since various presentations can be helpful for example Audubon had color photos while something with line drawings usually shows the variability better. Look for a regional guide book since they often go into greater depth. Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs is a good balance between coffee table, informative, and regionally applicable. Wildflower guides that include the flowers of woody plants and relevant gardening guides would complete a collection. One thing I look for in guide books is the inclusion of certain obscure and/or local species, but that can only be done in a bookstore. An easy way to get a local plant checklist is State Search | USDA PLANTS although for just trees, shrubs, and/or vines use the advanced search along with narrowing down to the state and even counties.