Native Trees of the Southeast: An Identification Guide

Whenever I visit a new region I get a tree book. This is the best ID guide I’ve come across. I really like how they provide winter identification tips. Also the “uses” section for each tree goes beyond other books I have. My only critique is they don’t provide drawings for each typical shape/silhouette, although this may have been intentional since trees can take a litany of shapes depending on surroundings, sun, wind, etc… If you want an ID book for the region, this is it.

Lots of information on trees growing in the south eastern United States. Great illustration and identification of various types of trees.

This is probably my favorite field guide for trees in my area. The one requirement for using it is that you know or learn how to work with botanical keys. It is not a "picture book" where you scan over images of trees to see which one matches the one you're trying to find. However, if you know how to use dichotomous keys, it is easy to use and I've been able to key out all trees I've tried to find so far. You may wish to use a hand lens to help with some of the identifying features. The book starts off with some introductory information, including how to use the keys, and line drawings of identification features to illustrate the botanical terms used in the book. This should make it accessible to a lay person without prior knowledge in botany. The introduction is followed by both summer and winter keys. The main section of the book goes into more detail for each tree family, including summer and winter keys down to species level, and a description of each species with distinguishing characteristics, habitat and range, and uses. Images include distribution maps and color photographs. The pictures are smallish and limited to leaves, twigs, fruits etc., but combined with the text it is possible to clearly identify each tree. The information provided is excellent. At the end of the book, a section on introduced and naturalized trees is included, followed by a glossary, conversion tables (inches to cm etc.), and an index with both common and scientific names. The cover feels quite sturdy and has a convenient ruler on the back (both inches and centimeters). In summary, this is a very nice all-seasons field guide to trees for botanists and those interested in learning more about trees and their identification.

My job this summer included identifying trees in Southwestern North Carolina. I used about five different tree books, but this book was the best identification guide for trees in the area. Plenty of pictures are provided, not just of leaves, but of bark, fruit, and other characteristics if important for identification. The book also includes dichotomous keys for each family, which, although I did not use often, could be helpful at times. Perhaps the part of this book I found to be most useful was the "Distinguishing Characteristics" section under each species. In this section, the species is compared with look-a-like species and the book describes features which aid in a positive identification. One thing that buyers should note before purchasing this book is that it is organized according to scientific names. Although the common names appear throughout with all trees, it is alphabetized by scientific family names and always lists the scientific name first. This takes some getting used to if you are not a plant scientist, but, after a while, it was kind of cool to be able to know the common names and the scientific names. I have used a lot of high quality field guides for trees including the Sibley, the National Wildlife Federation, Peterson's, and others, and this one has been, by far, the best for the region. I would recommend it for anyone, from the tree scientist to the casual outdoor enthusiast who wants to learn more tree identification skills in the Southeast.

I'm not an expert so the scientific terminology and detail isn't as helpful as more plentiful and more comprehensive photos of examples would be helpful. I was also hoping for more of a guide to existing trees I'm likely to encounter, which the title fairly tells you isn't always covered in this book. Native trees don't always make up some of the trees you encounter in the woods and I was really hoping for a regional guide to all the trees I'm likely to encounter in parks and in the wild. But I'm glad it's on my shelf. And it's a good size for carrying around and good quality book.