Reviews
Dirr's book is an easily read compendium of useful, up-to-date information and instructions for selecting plant materials for anyone interested in growing or utilizing them in the landscape., The addition of color photographs makes Dirr's new book an excellent visual reference for plant selection and identification., This tome is of a very high standard--its most outstanding feature being the high quality of photographs which have taken the author more than 25 years to accumulate., Will unquestionably become one of the most beautiful and significant books in the gardener's library., Though my shelves sag under the weight of books about trees and shrubs, there's still space for a pictoral encyclopedia that does the subject justice., If you can't tell your Aesculus parvi ora from your Parrotia persica then this guide to the best woody plants should have pride of place on your shelves., Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs is a must buy for all who love woody plants, and for most of our plant materials students as well., Sit down with Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs and be gratified by nearly 500 pages of sensational photographs accompanied by clear, smooth, and visceral text... The text and photographs have been meticulously merged into a pure volume that delights the eyes and mind., Highly recommended for horticulturists, landscape architects, arboreta, botanical gardens, and all libraries needing a comprehensive reference on woody plants., The text and photographs have been meticulously merged into a pure volume that delights the eyes and mind., The ultimate in reference texts about shrubs and trees was released in September. Hardy Trees and Shrubs (Timber Press) by Michael Dirr, one of the nation's preeminent woody plants experts, sets what should be the standard for plant books. This compendium is in a class by itself for its honest descriptions. Its 490 pages offer a lot of information and there are more than 1,600 full-color photographs. It is a beautiful presentation that will save more than its price by ensuring that whomever receives it will make good plant selections., With scientific text accompanied by excellent photographs, Dirr provides the fundamentals for landscaping., Unquestionably one of the most significant books ever published, this lavishly illustrated encyclopedia describes the best woody plants, from Abeliophyllum to Zenobia., "A First-Class Source on the Very Best Garden Trees and Shrubs."-- Library Journal, December 1, 1999, a spectacular accompaniment to the Manual and itself a formidable encyclopedia. The short essays resound with Dirr's inimitable voice. His excellent photographs--1,650 of them--run the book into an enormous, magnificent armchair arboretum., Dirr's encyclopedia is an excellent reference book and point of departure for anyone who wants to know more about a particular tree of shrub., Dirr's illustrated encyclopedia is another in a series of exquisite horticultural and gardening books published by Timber Press., A good investment for those with existing landscapes as well as those who are just starting to landscape their yards., If one is seeking a reference on woody plants, this is probably the very best of those by an American authority., In making choices for your garden you can't do better than Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs . . . [Dirr's] inimitable style of writing is in high gear - he doesn't hesitate to trenchantly admire or dislike a subject, and the photographs are both very beautiful and excellently descriptive. This is a must-have reference that can be confidently placed on the coffee-table too., Those readers not familiar with Michael Dirr's plant books would do well to make Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs their first., Michael Dirr is the acknowledged authority on American trees and shrubs. His book . . . is a valuable reference., For a basic and comprehensive reference book on shrubs and trees . . . there is none other than Michael A. Dirr's Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs., Michael Dirr's Manual of Woody Plants had long been the bible of professional horticulturists, but that unillustrated tome can be heavy going for laypeople. Here, Dirr makes his opionated wisdom accessible to all. Most entries can be grown across the U.S., Honest, parochial, personal, and glib, Dirr's Hardy Tress and Shrubs is a trove of beauty and substance., Dirr is passionate about the trees and shrubs he loves . . . His sometimes terse writing manner makes this book a delight to read . . . This is a most valuable resource., (This book will) give you a real appreciation for the many trees and shrubs that thrive in our hardiness zones 7 and 8., Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs is an important and valuable reference work which no life sciences library should be without... This book is a classic., Fortunately, for all gardeners, Michael Dirr has written this book. We can all benefit from his scholarship and his keen, and I am pleased to say, practical obervations., A photographic tour-de-force, this is the book Dirr fans have been waiting for. In addiction to the usual opinionated and informative text we have come to expect from Dirr, this encyclopedia of hardy woody plants is illustrated with 1,650 full-color photographs selected by the author from his slide collection. At the end of the book is a useful index of plants grouped by desirable characteristics and cultural requirements., It is with practicalities that Dirr scores most highly, with his combinations of stirring verbal descriptions and excellent photography., Of great use to garden designer in particular, this book will allow them to gain vital insights into the habits, culture and visual impact of many of the trees and shrubs used in northern gardens., Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs is certain to expand the horizons of gardeners formerly content with the handful of shrubs to be found at the local nursery.", The author is to be congratulated on his long years of dedication in accumulating such a wealth of photographs and information. At $69.95 I do not consider this to be too high a price for such an excellent publication.
Table of Content
Preface, 9 Acknowledgments, 10Part I: AZ Illustrated Guide to Woody Plants, 11 Abeliophyllum, 12 Abies, 12 Acanthopanax, 15 Acer, 15 Actinidia, 29 Aesculus, 30 Ailanthus, 34 Akebia, 35 Albizia, 36 Alnus, 37 Amelanchier, 39 Amorpha, 42 Ampelopsis, 43 Aralia, 44 Aristolochia, 46 Aronia, 46 Asimina, 48 Berberis, 49 Betula, 54 Bignonia, 60 Buddleia, 61 Buxus, 64 Callicarpa, 65 Calluna, 68 Calocedrus, 68 Calycanthus, 69 Campsis, 70 Caragana, 71 Carpinus, 72 Carya, 75 Caryopteris, 78 Castanea, 78 Catalpa, 79 Ceanothus, 80 Cedrela, 81 Cedrus, 82 Celastrus, 84 Celtis, 85 Cephalanthus, 86 Cercidiphyllum, 87 Cercis, 88 Chaenomeles, 90 Chamaecyparis, 92 Chionanthus, 96 Cladrastis, 98 Clerodendrum, 98 Clethra, 99 Colutea, 101 Comptonia, 101 Cornus, 102 Corylopsis, 111 Corylus, 113 Cotinus, 116 Cotoneaster, 118 Crataegus, 124 Cryptomeria, 130 Cupressocyparis, 131 Cytisus, 133 Daphne, 134 Davidia, 137 Deutzia, 138 Diervilla, 140 Diospyros, 140 Dirca, 141 Disanthus, 142 Elaeagnus, 142 Elsholtzia, 144 Enkianthus, 145 Erica, 147 Eucommia, 147 Euonymus, 148 Evodia, 153 Exochorda, 154 Fagus, 155 Forsythia, 157 Fothergilla, 160 Franklinia, 162 Fraxinus, 163 Gaylussacia, 165 Genista, 165 Ginkgo, 167 Gleditsia, 168 Gymnocladus, 169 Halesia, 170 Hamamelis, 172 Hedera, 177 Heptacodium, 178 Hibiscus, 179 Hippophae, 180 Hovenia, 181 Hydrangea, 182 Hypericum, 189 Ilex, 190 Indigofera, 202 Itea, 202 Juglans, 203 Juniperus, 205 Kalmia, 215 Kalopanax, 216 Kerria, 216 Koelreuteria, 218 Kolkwitzia, 219 Laburnum, 219 Larix, 220 Leiophyllum, 222 Leucothoe, 222 Ligustrum, 224 Lindera, 226 Liquidambar, 228 Liriodendron, 228 Lonicera, 230 Maackia, 237 Maclura, 238 Magnolia, 239 Mahonia, 247 Malus, 248 Menispermum, 254 Metasequoia, 254 Morus, 256 Myrica, 258 Neillia, 259 Neviusia, 259 Nyssa, 260 Ostrya, 261 Oxydendrum, 262 Parrotia, 263 Parthenocissus, 264 Paulownia, 265 Phellodendron, 266 Philadelphus, 267 Photinia, 268 Physocarpus, 269 Picea, 270 Pieris, 274 Pinus, 276 Platanus, 288 Polygonum, 290 Poncirus, 290 Populus, 291 Potentilla, 294 Prinsepia, 295 Prunus, 296 Pseudocydonia, 312 Pseudotsuga, 313 Pyracantha, 314 Pyrus, 315 Quercus, 320 Rhamnus, 329 Rhododendron, 330 Rhodotypos, 339 Rhus, 340 Ribes, 344 Robinia, 345 Rosa, 347 Salix, 352 Sambucus, 356 Sarcococca, 359 Sassafras, 360 Schizophragma, 361 Sciadopitys, 362 Shepherdia, 363 Skimmia, 364 Sophora, 365 Sorbaria, 366 Sorbus, 368 Spiraea, 371 Stachyurus, 377 Stephanandra, 377
