Description

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An easy-to-use guide to the most common trees in the state

From the understory flowering dogwood presenting its showy array of white bracts in spring, to the stately, towering baldcypress anchoring swampland with their reddish buttresses; from aromatic groves of Atlantic white-cedar that grow in coastal bogs to the upland rarity of the fire-dependent montane longleaf pine, Alabama is blessed with a staggering diversity of tree species. Trees of Alabama offers an accessible guide to the most notable species occurring widely in the state, forming its renewable forest resources and underpinning its rich green blanket of natural beauty.

Lisa J. Samuelson provides a user-friendly identification guide featuring straightforward descriptions and vivid photographs of more than 140 common species of trees. The text explains the habitat and ecology of each species, including its forest associates, human and wildlife uses, common names, and the derivation of its botanical name. With more than 800 full-color photographs illustrating the general form and habitat of each, plus the distinguishing characteristics of its buds, leaves, flowers, fruit, and bark, readers will be able to identify trees quickly. Colored distribution maps detail the range and occurrence of each species grouped by county, and a quick guide highlights key features at a glance.

This book also features a map of forest types, chapters on basic tree biology and terminology (with illustrative line drawings), a spotlight on the plethora of oak species in the state, and a comprehensive index. This is an invaluable resource for biologists, foresters, and educators and a great reference for outdoorspeople and nature enthusiasts in Alabama and throughout the southeastern United States.
 

About the Author

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Lisa J. Samuelson is Dwain G. Luce Professor of Forestry, Auburn University Alumni Professor, and director of the Center for Longleaf Pine Ecosystems at the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University. She has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications on tree physiology and three dendrology textbooks, including Forest Trees: A Guide to the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic Regions of the United States and Forest Trees: A Guide to the Eastern United States.

Michael E. Hogan is a fine woodworker and award-winning photographer whose images have appeared in numerous educational, extension, and outreach publications.
 

Praise For…

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“This is a serious field guide. There is no fluffy introduction explaining the role trees play in moderating climate and no appeal to land conservation or erosion control. Rather, this text is just about trees themselves. One might expect to be held back by complex Latin names for various leaf shapes and other anatomical features (naturally they are here), but such concerns fade with a flip through the pages. Helpful tutorials come in the form of 46 drawings of leaf shape and a glossary of 161 entries. Most helpful of all are the 599 color photographs, which help readers distinguish between species by inspecting their bark (comparing young trees with old), fruiting structures, leaves (of course), and flowers. In addition, 104 species are featured in a section on winter twigs. Still lost? There are 136 range maps to help readers figure out, county by Alabama county, whether the tree in front of them is supposed to be there. Rarely are field guides this good for both beginners and professionals. This one could well be used to encourage novices to look a little more closely at the world around them and also enable them to do so painlessly. Highly recommended.”
—CHOICE

“This is an invaluable resource for biologists, foresters, and educators and a great reference for outdoorspeople and nature enthusiasts in Alabama and throughout the southeastern United States.”
—Southeastern Naturalist
 

“Samuelson’s book is the best available tree identification tool for Alabama because it has an emphasis on the southeast where species complexes tend to be more confusing.”
—John L. Clark, associate professor of biological sciences, University of Alabama (2005 to 2015) and Aldo Leopold Distinguished Teaching Chair, The Lawrenceville School (2015 to 2018)