Product Description

For gardeners, for landscape professionals, and for anyone who cares about preserving the natural world, NATIVE TREES, SHRIBS, AND VINES is the first national guide to using, growing, and propagating North American woody plants.
Written in lively, informative language and illustrated with more than two hundred photographs, William Cullina's book is a comprehensive reference to almost one thousand native woody plants. An invaluable guide for naturalists, restorationists, nursery owners, landscape architects, and designers as well as gardeners, it points out that ecological gardening offers specific benefits to the individual as well as the environment. Even more than wildflowers, native trees, shrubs, and vines are essential to providing the food and shelter that attract birds and insects to the garden. And plants that are native to an area are far easier to grow and maintain than ordinary cultivated garden plants.
The author's acclaimed companion volume on wildflowers, GROWING AND PROPAGATING WILDFLOWERS, was called "an inspired effort, beautifully written and loaded with useful information" by Robert G. Breunig, director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Along with that volume, NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS, AND VINES provides a definitive reference to the native plants of the temperate North American continent. And because Cullina writes from personal experience with the plants in his books, he offers information that is considerably more helpful (and more interesting) than the facts one finds in most plant references.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #162690 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

From Library Journal
Nursery manager and propagator at the Garden in the Woods of the New England Wild Flower Society, Cullina has written a companion to his excellent The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada. Here he covers trees, shrubs, and vines native to temperate North America. A brief introduction covering general cultural information and how to use the book is followed by the "Encyclopedia of Plants," arranged alphabetically by genus, then species. Each genus entry introduces the genus and includes culture, uses, attraction to wildlife, and propagation methods. The following species entries contain USDA hardiness zones, soil type, native region, size, and flower season and color, ending with a descriptive paragraph. Color photographs complement the text. The final section explains propagation methods in general, then gives detailed information, by genus, on the best way to propagate each. Appendixes include plants for specific sites/uses, native alternatives to potentially invasive exotic species, sources of native plants (nursery propagated), native plant societies, and botanical gardens/arboreta featuring native plants. Cullina's writing is a pleasure to read beautifully descriptive, informative, and personal. His useful, authoritative work is highly recommended for North American libraries. Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"(Native Trees, Shrubs, & Vines is) an important book for professional nurserymen. Cullina also writes so well that this is the rare encyclopedia that can be read for pleasure. This handsome well-designed volume is an excellent value." -- Review

Review

Customer Reviews

Finally-woody natives described by an expert
Even though a hard cover reference book isn't usual bedtime reading for me-I couldn't put this down. Each plant is described so personally yet so expertly. Gardening with woody plants is a commitment, and this book provided the insight and knowledge I needed to make choices confidently. The language of the book is wonderful-it is as if the author is chatting with his latest native plant buddy-you. The lists and organization of information is very helpful.

A Must Have
William Cullina, of the New England Wild Flower society, is a highly regarded expert in Native plants. This book is the woody counterpart to his Wildflower book. Included are tips on using, growing and propagating these native wonders in North America. The photography and information provided are a source like none other. This is a must have for anyone interested in restoring the ecology of the landscape through the use of natives - beginners and experts alike - an excellent reference.

Excellent - it's a great read and a reference.
William Cullina has struck a great balance in this book. Every time I pick it up I'm amazed at how it is both an informative reference and a very enjoyable read.

Bill (can I call him that?) understands there are just as many amateur gardeners as there horticulturalist. In this book, he struck a balance with both audiences. For instance, I'm not a big fan of Latin plant names: I prefer to know the background of a plant, what it needs to thrive, its purpose, etc... When I look up a plant in this book, I get so much more. This makes the informative process extremely enjoyable as well as educational. Bill also gives phonetic spelling of the plants. It helps when you go to the nursery you'll feel less intimated by those who seem to speak Latin.

For instance, I just bought 5 Artemisia plants to go with purple coneflower, Salvia, Russian Sage, etc... Looking Artemisia up in Native Trees Shrubs and Vines, I found out it is actually sagebrush (tumbleweed) from the wild west as well as the extreme hardiness of the plant, its background, how to cultivate it, use it, etc... The style of the writing made the process extraordinarily enjoyable.

PS: I've been meaning to write a review of this book for 2 years now. When I read about Artemisia a few minutes ago, it compelled me to leave the garden to write this review. I can't say enough about this book other then it's one of my top 3 favorites on gardening. I actually took 10 minutes out of a beautiful Sunday morning to write this review. Now, it's back to the garden & Bill's book for me :-)