Smithsonian Trees of North America

An indispensable illustrated source of information for hundreds of species of North American trees

This authoritative reference on native and non-native trees of North America, by Smithsonian veteran W. John Kress, provides an unprecedented appraisal of more than 325 common species. More than a field guide, it includes

• over 300 range maps and 3,000 photographs of leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and bark;

• an in-depth introduction to the biology of trees, their value, structure, evolution, classification, ecology, and conservation;

• descriptions of each species, organized by genus and family;

• a reflection on the consequences of environmental change on the health of trees, now and in the future;

• a presentation, based on the latest technologies, of North American trees in a planetary and evolutionary perspective.

Smithsonian Trees of North America, ten years in the making, marries science and art to provide an insightful and compassionate exploration of the diversity, structure, form, and beauty of trees.

Author Biography

W. John Kress is Distinguished Scientist and Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where he served as Curator of Botany. His research has taken him to over forty-five countries to study the evolution and ecology of tropical plants. He developed the Leafsnap plant identification app and helped to develop the tool for DNA barcoding of plants. He lives in Dorset, VT. Lonnie G. Bunch III is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He lives in the District of Columbia. Margaret D. Lowman is executive director of TREE Foundation and a National Geographic Explorer. Her books include The Arbornaut: Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees above Us. She lives in Sarasota, FL.