Dirr’s Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates
An Illustrated Encyclopediaa book by Michael A. DirrFollowing the phenomenal success of Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs,
written for gardeners in the climates of USDA zones 3–6, this companion
volume presents trees, shrubs, and vines for “warm temperate” zones. In
North America, these areas (zones 7–11) stretch from the Mid-Atlantic
states to the South, include most of Texas and the Southwest, and
encompass the entire West Coast up to western Canada.
Any gardener who
lives in an area where average winter temperatures do not fall below 0?
Fahrenheit will want this book, and curious gardeners in colder zones
may well want to test these select plants in their local microclimates.
This remarkable volume shows both the habit and details — flower,
fruit, bark, fall color — of more than 400 species and describes
hundreds more cultivars and varieties. From Abelia to Ziziphus, gardeners will encounter many
new and unfamiliar plants that thrive in warmer climates.
The book also
reflects the author’s inimitable personality, which holds nothing back
when a plant deserves outright acclaim (“If prescriptions could be
written for perfect garden plants, this species would come close to
filling the order”), backhanded praise (“Use for accent, for novelty, or to drive visitors loony”), or frank condemnation (“Splays to the point of no redemption with time”). The book concludes with useful lists for selecting plants for a variety of conditions or for ornamental characteristics, such as flower color and fragrance, fruit,
and fall color.
Media reviews of this book:
“Mr. Dirr has chosen more than 400 species and nearly 500 additional cultivars and varieties to describe in concise text and illustrate with beautiful photos. All in all, this is an exciting book to read for
information or pure pleasure.”
—Journal of American Rhododendron Society, 58 No. 2 Spring 2004
“Mr. Dirr has a knack for including precisely the right words about each plant.”
—Glenda Alexander, Heather Enthusiasts of the Redwood Empire Newsletter, August 2003
“Michael Dirr has done it again!”
—Donna Williamson, HortResources Newsletter, March 2003
“Another reference to help guide the southern gardener toward perfection in their garden paths.”
—James Flynn Jr., American Reference Books Annual, Volume 34 2003
“This is truly an encyclopedia of beauty ... Even if you are not into woody plants this book will surely please you.”
—SIDA, Vol. 20, No. 2 2002
Publishing details:
Hardcover, 448 pages, 8-½" x 11", 1438 color photos, 1 map
©2002, Timber Press, ISBN 0-88192-525-X
An excerpt from this book:
What a wonderful chance discovery about eight years past at an antebellum
home across from the Georgia campus, where a low subshrub with pink
wisteria-like flowers was growing in the shade of pecan trees. Another
key-out quest was performed, with this species surfacing as the leading
candidate. A suckering, spreading shrub with seven to thirteen, 1 to 2
1/2-inch long rich green leaflets per leaf. Flowers, each 3/4 in. long,
pink, in 4 to 8 in. long, 20 to 40 flowered racemes, explode in May and
continue sporadically into August and September on new growth. Have yet
to observe fruit set. I hope to breed this species with the others for
improved floral characteristics...
About Michael Dirr
Michael A. Dirr is a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia. He is the author of eleven books, including Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia and the text and reference book, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, and has published more than 300 scientific and popular papers and articles.
Awards for Michael Dirr
- American Horticultural Society’s Teaching Award
- Arthur Hoyt Scott Garden and Horticultural Award
- ASHS Undergraduate Educator Award
- Medal of Honor from the Garden Clubs of America
- Southern Nurseryman’s Association (SNA) Slater Wight Memorial Award
Ordering information:Dirr’s Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates An Illustrated Encyclopedia (Hardcover) (B-036)
Each $69.95
Add to Cart
|
= 
= 
= 
=