Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

Timber Press, 1997 - Gardening - 493 pages

"Visually beautiful, with over 1,600 color photographs of woody plants that bring the text to life, this volume is destined to become a standard reference source for gardening and botany. Entries are arranged alphabetically by scientific name and describe the habitat, foliage, flower, fruit, availability from commercial sources, and landscape use of U.S. northern trees and shrubs, suitable for zones 3 to 8. Readable, short essays reflect the experience and personality of the author, a professor at the University of Georgia. About the Carolina hemlock, Dirr says that "many gardeners rave about this species ... [but] my heart never missed a beat." Dirr took all the photographs during his 25 years as a horticulturist, and there is generally a shot of the full bush or tree and smaller close-ups of the fruit and the leaves of each. Thirty-four tables assist the landscaper in "Selecting Plants for Specific Characteristics or Purposes," such as flowering sequence, flower color, or shrub size".--"Outstanding Reference Sources : the 1999 Selection of New Titles", American Libraries, May 1999. Comp. by the Reference Sources Committee, RUSA, ALA.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - happilyeverafters - LibraryThing

This is an excellent tree and shrub book, in which the author freely offers his opinion. Too often gardening books show beautiful pictures of every plant listed, deceiving the reader and creating ...

Dirrs Hardy Trees and Shrubs

User Review  - shannyv - Overstock.com

Loved the book! Came in great condition thank you.

About the author

Michael A. Dirr is a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia. He is the author of twelve books, including Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia and the text and reference book, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, and has published more than 300 scientific and popular papers and articles. His teaching, lectures, seminars, garden study tours, and plant introduction programs have contributed enormously to greater horticultural awareness. He has received the highest teaching and gardening awards from the University of Georgia, American Society of Horticultural Science, American Horticultural Society, American Nursery & Landscape Association, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Southern Nursery Association, and Garden Club of America.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
• Contributor: Michael Dirr
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Timber Press, 1997
• ISBN: 0881924040, 9780881924046
• Length: 493 pages
• Subjects: Gardening / Reference; Gardening / Shrubs; Gardening / Trees