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What's that Tree?
From mighty redwoods and stately pines, to beautiful cherry blossoms and dependable oaks, What's that Tree? helps identify commonly found trees and is the perfect addition to every family's library.
Paperback
First published February 18, 2013
About the author
Tony Russell
32 booksTony Russell is one of the UK's leading authorities on trees and appears regularly on TV and radio discussing arboricultural issues.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 22, 2021
You take a walk through the woods, you look around and upward into the canopy above you, and you wonder, "Is that a horse chestnut, a sweet chestnut... or is it something altogether different?
Wonder no more. With this handy, narrow paperback that fits into your pocket or backpack you can check its identity. Easy! "No, that's not a horse or sweet chestnut, it's a sycamore".
Wonder no more. With this handy, narrow paperback that fits into your pocket or backpack you can check its identity. Easy! "No, that's not a horse or sweet chestnut, it's a sycamore".
August 12, 2015
Does a great job with what it intends to do : to be the "simplest ID guide ever" for several of the most recognizable and common trees.
The little picture representing the whole tree could be a little bigger or more distinctive, but it's about using the leaves, flowers, fruits, and bark first and foremost for the investigation, after all.
Aciu, Gabija :)
Gero ir ilgo tau gyvenimo su draugiskais medziais kurie tau suteiktu pavesio! :)
The little picture representing the whole tree could be a little bigger or more distinctive, but it's about using the leaves, flowers, fruits, and bark first and foremost for the investigation, after all.
Aciu, Gabija :)
Gero ir ilgo tau gyvenimo su draugiskais medziais kurie tau suteiktu pavesio! :)
June 30, 2019
DK market What's That Tree? as "The Simplest Guide Ever" - it is clearly laid out, in typical Dorling Kindersley style, and has a very good introduction. It is slim and fits into a pocket, which is good.
Classically when asking, what's that tree?, you use the leaves, bark, and the shape of a tree. These basics are covered well in the introduction. Tony Russell covers 150 British and European trees in more detail by categories.
Given that apps are now catching up very fast at identifying trees effectively, this is still a good addition on dendrology. It is simple, but not simplistic, and I take it with me when walking, and use both an app (iNaturalist is the best, imho, and free, and, without commercial interests) and this guide, then use my larger books to learn more at home.
It represents very good value for the price and is an attractive and useful guide to trees. It would make an ideal first book for anyone of any age interested in learning more about trees.
Classically when asking, what's that tree?, you use the leaves, bark, and the shape of a tree. These basics are covered well in the introduction. Tony Russell covers 150 British and European trees in more detail by categories.
Given that apps are now catching up very fast at identifying trees effectively, this is still a good addition on dendrology. It is simple, but not simplistic, and I take it with me when walking, and use both an app (iNaturalist is the best, imho, and free, and, without commercial interests) and this guide, then use my larger books to learn more at home.
It represents very good value for the price and is an attractive and useful guide to trees. It would make an ideal first book for anyone of any age interested in learning more about trees.
April 15, 2023
The images are wonderful but for a book published in North America, I have no idea why they had a European author for it. These are NOT North America‘s most common species as it says on the cover. It’s a random mix of trees, many of which aren’t even necessarily commonly grown non-natives here. And with no range map and very limited detail about each tree, it’s useless for true plant ID. The tables and basic info are good, but for such a slim book, it promises too much. The author also doesn’t use the most common American names, and so you have to read the paragraph to figure out what other names are used.
December 27, 2019
TLDR: Check out the tree gallery in the back of the book. Stand out photos compared to other books.
A very thin book with clear good photos that is easy on the eyes and doesn't cognitively overload. The color photos are exceptional quality of the leaves on branches making it very easy to view the silhouette as well as details. A tree gallery in the back shows these photos grouped by family. I think it's a great book to learn basics and get to know what to look for. In fact, each section of tree types states what to look for, cones, tips of needless, bark, and other features.
A very thin book with clear good photos that is easy on the eyes and doesn't cognitively overload. The color photos are exceptional quality of the leaves on branches making it very easy to view the silhouette as well as details. A tree gallery in the back shows these photos grouped by family. I think it's a great book to learn basics and get to know what to look for. In fact, each section of tree types states what to look for, cones, tips of needless, bark, and other features.
December 25, 2020
Yet to take this on my travels but seems that it will be very useful. Trees grouped by tree type and then leaf shape, with good photos and main features highlighted. I would perhaps have appreciated some guidance on frequency and distribution in the wild, as some of these seem quite obscure, but I suppose it would be difficult. There’s also not a lot of other info on each tree but that’s because its main purpose is to be an aid to identifying trees, I suppose you can then read up on it separately.
March 28, 2021
Easy to use pocket-sized beginners guide. Prior to reading this I only knew the names of two trees; one because I took a course on how to recognise different trees from quite a long way away… The Larch. The. Larch. And the second is the Douglas Fir, as it’s mentioned in Twin Peaks. So I decided to expand my knowledge. There’s 184 different kinds of tree in this book which makes it a reasonable introduction to dendrology. And the categories are nicely sectioned for ease of use. Even if you don't find the tree you're trying to identify this will make it easy to narrow down on a duckduckgo search.
A small gripe with the book is that there is a leaf-free tree across the street and I can’t identify it using this guide (it’s not a lamppost). I can’t blame the book too harshly for that because knowing how to recognise different trees from quite a long way away is best left to comedy shows from 1969, I suppose. The majority of trees in the forest areas next to me currently have no leaves so pretty much can’t use it for most trees in the area at this time (in March), as it only shows 1cm images of the full tree to understand the general shape. I did however learn that the trees that lose their leaves seasonally are called deciduous trees. That’s pretty neat.
A small gripe with the book is that there is a leaf-free tree across the street and I can’t identify it using this guide (it’s not a lamppost). I can’t blame the book too harshly for that because knowing how to recognise different trees from quite a long way away is best left to comedy shows from 1969, I suppose. The majority of trees in the forest areas next to me currently have no leaves so pretty much can’t use it for most trees in the area at this time (in March), as it only shows 1cm images of the full tree to understand the general shape. I did however learn that the trees that lose their leaves seasonally are called deciduous trees. That’s pretty neat.
December 23, 2018
Tā nav nekāda rokasgrāmata dabā - garlaicīgs lapu veidu uzskaitījums šauram dārznieku lokam. Biju gaidījis kompakta izmēra grāmatu ko varu ņemt uz mežu, bet mārketinga triks vien bija :(
April 17, 2025
Very thorough and concise guide, a pleasure to use as a reference!
October 1, 2019
This is a beginner's guide to tree identification.
Although this book was published in North America for a North American audience, the author is a European from the United Kingdom, and as a result, the trees found in this book are a hodgepodge of common and obscure rather the most common trees found in North America. This makes the book less helpful for "beginners" than other "beginner's guides."
Rather than as a guide for identification, this book works best to teach the common features of trees, illustrated by a few examples. It would be useful to help understand different types of trees, but it isn't helpful as a reference book for identifying specific kinds trees as which is what it is marketed. At least, that was my experience. I was unable to use it to help me identify a birch tree in our neighborhood, which is a fairly common type found in the central and northern United States.
As a general introduction to trees, this book does have a lot to recommend it. The book is divided into three sections: 1) conifers, 2) broadleaves: simple, and 3) broadleaves: compound. At the beginning of the book, there are in-depth and illustrated explanations of leaf shapes, of leaf margins (i.e. leaf edges), and leaf arrangement. These are excellent. A basic understanding of leaf types is essential for tree identification, and no such basic information is given in the Arbor Day Foundation's tree identification guide, which I found odd. Bark, flowers, and seeds are also touched upon.
There is a glossary and an index as well as scientific names and a tree gallery of tree families. The book is illustrated with photos rather than drawings. Each photo features several needles or leaves as well as the tree's flower and seeds.
Although this book was published in North America for a North American audience, the author is a European from the United Kingdom, and as a result, the trees found in this book are a hodgepodge of common and obscure rather the most common trees found in North America. This makes the book less helpful for "beginners" than other "beginner's guides."
Rather than as a guide for identification, this book works best to teach the common features of trees, illustrated by a few examples. It would be useful to help understand different types of trees, but it isn't helpful as a reference book for identifying specific kinds trees as which is what it is marketed. At least, that was my experience. I was unable to use it to help me identify a birch tree in our neighborhood, which is a fairly common type found in the central and northern United States.
As a general introduction to trees, this book does have a lot to recommend it. The book is divided into three sections: 1) conifers, 2) broadleaves: simple, and 3) broadleaves: compound. At the beginning of the book, there are in-depth and illustrated explanations of leaf shapes, of leaf margins (i.e. leaf edges), and leaf arrangement. These are excellent. A basic understanding of leaf types is essential for tree identification, and no such basic information is given in the Arbor Day Foundation's tree identification guide, which I found odd. Bark, flowers, and seeds are also touched upon.
There is a glossary and an index as well as scientific names and a tree gallery of tree families. The book is illustrated with photos rather than drawings. Each photo features several needles or leaves as well as the tree's flower and seeds.
September 29, 2014
I thumbed through this - what an awesome little book! Great color illustrations and photos!
September 18, 2016
Pretty good guide, deffo would make it half its size so it's a bit more pockety and useful in nature but hey.
May 2, 2017
One of the most concise trees guides I've come across. Great size and images, too.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews