Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs - An Illustrated Encyclopedia
Michael A. Dirr
This book is a beautifully illustrated photographic essay on more than 500 species and 700 cultivars of ornamental trees and shrubs that can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 3-6. (Most of these will thrive in zones 7 and 8 as well, but plants that are not hardy to at least zone 6 are not included.) The more than 1600 photographs were selected from the author's extensive collection of color slides assembled over more than 25 years of searching for the "perfect specimen." The photographs alone are worth the price of the book, but each entry also includes a brief description of habit (form); size; foliage, flower and fruit characteristics; cultural requirements; uses in the landscape; hardiness zones; and native range. He also lists noteworthy cultivars and includes keen wisdom from his personal experience with every one of these trees and shrubs. The prose is as delightful as the photographs are beautiful. A second part of the book consists of 36 tables listing the best trees and shrubs for specific characteristics and purposes, including flower color and fragrance; fall color; bark; form; size; and tolerance to wet soils, drought, salt, and shade. This beautiful book will be a useful and enjoyable addition to any gardener's library.
Michael A. Dirr is Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia. He has published more than 300 scientific and popular articles and books, including Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, probably the professional landscaper's most important reference textbook. Dr. Dirr and his colleague in the Horticulture Department at Athens, Allan M. Armitage - an expert on annuals and perennials, are two of America's most knowledgeable and influential plantsmen. Imagine touring a botanical garden with these two!
