The Complete Book of Trees of Britain and Europe

Book excerpt: This superbly illustrated book is a comprehensive identification reference to over 500 of the most important and best-known trees of Britan and Europe. A detailed introduction looks at the origins of trees, their evolution over time and the ways in which they have adapted to suit the variety of terrains in which they thrive. Each of a tree's constituent parts - bark, trunk, leaves, needles, cones, flowers, and fruit - is looked at in detail and the author discusses the role each plays in the tree's survival. The book then presents an extensive illustrated encyclopedia of the most common, popular, prolific or unusual trees found in Britain and Europe. Each illustrated entry includes details such as bark texture and colour, leaf shape and size, flowering time and special features, so that trees can be easily identified.