San Antonio College Library

Looks at the world of trees, journeying around the world to explore the facts, characteristics, natural history, life cycles, evolution, and environmental impact of trees and forests.

This NewsHour production discusses a new report that warns that at least one in nine tree species in the U.S. are at risk of extinction. Trees face a host of threats including invasive species, deadly disease, and climate change. The data comes as part of the most comprehensive threat assessment ever collected on U.S. forests.

"Most particularly I must tell them about the Purple Tree herself. She was a great beauty in her day. Many a class from the University of Texas art school painted her portrait. Now, in her middle sixties, she is still a handsome creature, possibly the oldest surviving member of the Vitex family, but the neighborhood knows her simply as the Purple tree."--Introduction

This work is an "uncommon history" of trees. Alphabetical entries cover tree and leaf descriptions, their products, where the trees are located geographically, where they got their common names, people who described the trees or transported them and made them popular, and folklore and stories about the particular trees.

"Ancient Ireland was once heavily wooded and a squirrel could travel from Cork to Killarney without touching the ground. So it is no surprise that the mythology and folklore of trees were part of everyday life. A sprig of mountain ash tied to the tails of livestock kept the fairies from harming them. A staff of blackthorn was the best to have when out walking at night to ward off evil spirits." "This book, illustrated in specially-commissioned watercolours...

"The first two chapters go over tree ecology, anatomy, and physiology. The rest of the book describes how the pre-Columbian Americans used trees, and then follows the European settlers as they moved across the country, consuming an apparently infinite resource, up through present day conservation efforts and environmental threats to our remaining forests. The information is encyclopedic, over 400 photographs are striking, and the writing style is...

Provides descriptions, origins, growing instructions, and legends associated with various trees and shrubs.

Color photographs accompany brief stories involving almost one hundred historic or unusual trees in Texas.