The Trees Around You: How to Identify Common Neighborhood Trees in the Pacific Northwest

by Casey Clapp

A visually rich and entertaining field guide to identifying common trees in the Pacific Northwest’s urban and suburban areas



User-friendly organization and 700-plus photos of bark, flowers, leaves, and more to clarify, compare, and contrast species
Includes over 300 of the most common tree species found in urban and surburban settings in the Pacific Northwest
Focuses on making tree identification easy and rewarding



Tree educator, host of the Completely Arbortrary podcast, and arborist Casey Clapp shares his knowledge and enthusiasm in this first ever field guide to focus on the most common trees in the Pacific Northwest’s urban and suburban areas. Clapp’s innovative Stepwise Journey guides readers through a progression of key clues for tree identification, while line drawings, phenology calendar, and over 700 photos provide clear visual references. Clapp covers more than 300 species altogether, with 150 featured species highlighted in extended profiles that cover key details, including common and scientific names; physical descriptions of the bark, leaves, and seed cones; notes on where to look for specific species; and distinguishing characteristics of related trees. From oaks to maples to conifers, Clapp gives everyone the tools and confidence to take this book outside and identify the trees in their own backyard, along their street, or in their local parks.

In The Trees Around You, Casey Clapp demystifies tree identification, while spreading joy and enthusiasm for paying closer attention to the trees that surround us every day.

408 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2025

Reviews

[Lauren Csaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is the best tree identification book I’ve ever seen! I hope someone will follow Casey’s lead and write a book this well-organized for other regions. I really liked the way he arranged and categorized the trees and gave just the right amount of information for each. You can tell he put a ton of thought into which trees to feature, which to put in as side notes, and which to leave out. An impressive achievement!

[Katie Kania · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly what I’ve been wanting. I’m so excited to refer back to this as I go on walks around Seattle. The explanation of terms in the beginning is dense but so helpful. I’m loving all the visual aids with labels and captions.

YAY!!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s pretty clear that there was a lot of work devoted to this book. All of the photos and descriptions look amazing and I’ve already been using the Stepwise Journey to ID some local trees. I don’t live in Oregon, but this book is just as useful because it has a lot of the commonly planted ornamentals and street trees you see in urban and suburban areas.

[Peggy Bodner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this book has very clear photos of the trees as well as detailed descriptions of each species. The book is well organized and easy to use. You can either match the picture of the tree you saw or take the book with you, as unlike some other reference books this one is rather small and quite light. It's a solid reference to native as well as commonly found other trees of the Northwest. I've already used it three times!

Note - I did receive this as a publisher copy, but I would likely have bought it anyway. It is a valuable resource that I look forward to using again and again. #mountaineersbooks

[Rex Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the “felt experience” approach of how one may identify the tree. Compared to the dichotomy tree approach which is typical in most of the identification books, I don’t need to hone in on specific parts which may or may not be present at the time. I especially like the “quick guide” part, and “often confused with” section in some of the species description. With this book, I finally confirm that the Catalpa trees in my neighborhood is Southern Catalpa! The only question remains is: when is the sequel coming?

[Casey Clapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it's pretty good.

[Sai Theagaraj · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best and practical guides to tree identification. The introduction on how the mind is already built with the capacity to read patterns was very impressive.