Collins Gem Trees: How to Identify the Most Common Species

by Alastair H. Fitter

The unrivalled beginner's guide to identifying the most common species of tree in northern Europe. This is the perfect pocket guide for anyone who wants to identify those deciduous or evergreen species they may come across on hill or in dale, in the town or in the countryside. For each tree included in the book, there is a wealth of both textual and visual identification information. Remarkably detailed illustrations show not only the overall shape of the tree but also details of leaf shape, flowers, fruits, and bark. There's also information on the origin of each species, its height, preferred habitat, and growing conditions. Illustrations of cones, catkins, nuts, and fruits allow you to distinguish between similar species at a glance. The introduction covers the life cycle of trees, the establishment of woodland, people's relationship with forests, and how to go about identifying trees, plus the all-important question—what exactly is a tree?

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Nature, Gardening, Science

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Sean Barrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love being outside and walking/running through nature. It’s the inner romantic in me. I love scenery and green environments. So I decided to learn a little bit more about trees.

And this really is a good little guide. It’s not the sort of thing you read from cover to cover, but a point of reference if you want to identify a tree on your travels. You can do this by matching the foliage (leaves) with the images in the book and then narrowing it down further by looking at the colour of the leaves and cross-examining the results with the bark of the tree. Moreover, the book is tiny so it can easily be squeezed into a jacket pocket. It’s really quite handy to take out with you on a walk through a forest or nature park.

Some parts may have been more effective if photographs were used instead of illustrations, but I suppose getting images of all the tress in here would be an absolute massive task to undertake. It would require intensive traveling to and a budget that such a book wouldn’t afford. Also, clear distinctions between what the book defines as “light green” and “dark green” may have been helpful. Overall, it’s a good guide and achieves what it sets out to do.

[Dr Kate Semple]

If you want to be able to identify the trees you see around you and appreciate the differences between them this is an ideal pocket sized guide.

[Anastasia Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well-illustrated, which is a great help when you need to learn some precise tree-related vocabulary and need to know what looks like what, eg various kinds of cones, leaves, catkins, winged fruit, etc. For example, on pages 18-19 you will find a clear visual summary of the differences between lobed, pinnate, forked and palmate leaves, whereas on pages 26-27 you will see a neat assortment of cones, all labelled. Personally, I was surprised to learn that there are so many different kinds of acorns (pp 116-117) and catkins (pp 80-81) out there.

[Diane Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A constant companion on my long commutes to and from work. Because this guide is so tiny, it fits perfectly even in my coat pockets. The illustrations are vibrant and well done. The information is generally what you would find in a tree guidebook. It has brief introductory pages at the beginning, for your understanding of the context of trees. Overall, it is one I re-read over and over, and take along just to flip through the illustrations and test myself on the correct tree ID.