How many types of tree can you name? I could manage quite a few but, reading Trees of the World, it seems my knowledge is just a fraction of what’s possible. There are so many more than the obvious oak and ash.
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Grace Moore’s book aims to fill in some of the gaps with an arboreal tour of the world looking at some of the estimated 58,497 species.
Divided into continents – trees are found everywhere except Antarctica – it’s an exhaustive look at everything from the familiar Japanese cherry to the more unusual Dragon Blood Tree, so called because of its red sap.
We learn that pines are among the trees that are spread most widely across the world with the Scots Pine the only native pine species in the United Kingdom. Ginkgo have both male and female trees. The fruit of the Wild Service Tree, known as chequers, was historically used to flavour beer, hence the name of many British pubs.
Each entry has details of a mature tree’s dimensions, information on foliage, fruit, distribution and preferred habitat. There are also some interesting facts – the fruit of the Durian Tree is banned in some public places in Asia because of its smell; Tropical Mahogany is valued for its resistance to termites; jackfruit can weigh up to 36kg (80lbs) and grow out of the trunk.
The sections on individual trees are broken up by information on larger groupings, including flowering trees, pine cones and nut trees. Meanwhile, lovely photographs throughout Trees of the World provide an informative visual guide.
I did have a couple of gripes. The font for the ‘Interesting Facts’ in each entry is by my reckoning only about 6pt, far too small to be read easily, especially when set on a pale green background. There were also some discrepencies in a few of the entries with, for example, oranges described as both “the most widely grown fruit tree worldwide” and, on the same page, “one of the most widely cultivated fruit trees in the world”. Likewise, we are told both that the Chinese cork oak tree is used for wine corks and that its use is “not typically for wine stoppers”. Small points but they did leave me wondering which was correct.
Despite this, the book is a fascinating look at an important part of the natural world.
Trees of the World by Grace Moore is published by Schiffer Publishing with an RRP of £31.99. #Ad You can buy it here for £24.25. (If you buy via this link, I receive a small commission. The price you pay is not affected.) Alternatively, you may wish to buy from an independent bookseller here. All prices correct at time of publication of this post.
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