Books: The New Dirr - A Must Have

With an emphasis on the best new plant introductions of the last 10 to 15 years, Michael Dirr has outdone himself in his new book, Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs (Timber Press, 2011).

Right from the beginning, you know you're going to like this book: Up front, page 5   -- a list (by botanical name) of all the shrubs and trees covered in the book. Dirr doesn't really leave out anything -- he even includes Idesia polycarpa, the Igiri Tree, a tree I've seen only once in my life at the US National Arboretum in Washington DC. (And I only noticed it because I happened to be walking by when it was in full fruiting mode in the fall).

In his usual style, Dirr lets you know the good and the bad about every entry, i.e., he notes that some of the new variegated abelias have a tendency to revert to green. The book includes 3500 or so color photographs that beautifully illustrate the highlights of each plant, whether it's the flower, the bark, the fruit, the fall color, or simply the form of the shrub or tree. 

Each entry includes a brief description of the plant (or the cultivar), the leaves, the flowers and fruit, and its hardiness zones.

At the back of the book, there's a very useful section of lists of specific plant characteristics or purposes:  plants with yellow flowers; plants that bloom in spring or summer or winter; plants with orange or purple leaves, plants that tolerate dry or wet soils; plants suitable for urban areas; and the like.

BUT:  If you need to refer to drawings of leaves and stems and buds, etcs, then you'll have to drag out your old copy of Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propogation and Uses (Timber Press, 2009).

Whether you're a landscape designer or architect or just a garden enthusiast, you can't do without either of these books.  The new Dirr Encyclopedia is a sheer delight, and way too long in coming!