Field Guide to the Street Trees of New York City

Book excerpt: “A handbook for naturalists, sidewalk denizens, apartment dwellers, dog-walkers, and bicycle riders . . . No New Yorker should be without this book.” —Wayne Cahilly, New York Botanical Garden New York City is an urban oasis with hundreds of thousands of trees, and this guide acquaints residents and visitors alike with fifty species commonly found in the neighborhoods where people live, work, and travel. Beautiful, original drawings of leaves and stunning photographs of bark, fruit, flower, and twig accompany informative descriptions of each species. Detailed maps of the five boroughs identify all of the city’s neighborhoods, and specific addresses pinpoint where to find a good example of each tree species. Trees provide invaluable benefits to the Big Apple: they reduce the rate of respiratory disease, increase property values, cool homes and sidewalks in the summer, block the harsh winds of winter, clean the air, absorb storm water runoff, and provide habitat and food for the city’s wildlife. Bald cypress, swamp oak, silver linden, and all of New York’s most common trees are just a page turn away. Your evening walk will never be the same once you come to know the quiet giants that line the city’s streets.