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This book is an invaluable compilation of ecological information on 244 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines found in the northern half of the Florida peninsula and in the Florida Panhandle. It covers the full range of native species in the region as well as common exotic plants, drawing on original experience and field research by ecologist Robert Simons. For each species, Simons describes the plant’s leaves, flowers, and fruit, geographical distribution, size, and lifespan. He also discusses its typical habitats, soil and light requirements, water needs and flooding tolerance, adaptation to fire, economic importance, and the plants, insects, and diseases most often associated with it. Notably, the book focuses on each plant’s relationship with wildlife, including which species eat the fruit or foliage or pollinate the flowers. It also features an introduction to the biological communities of northern Florida and a helpful glossary of botanical terms. The Ecology of the Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Northern Florida provides gardeners, landscapers, scientists, and students a foundational understanding of how these plants fit into the communities of organisms in which they live and how they have adapted to their place in their physical environment.

This complete and authoritative work provides identification keys, full descriptions, and line drawings that make it possible to identify 383 native and naturalized species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines found in northern Florida and adjacent Georgia and Alabama. Casual observers of the lower coastal plain may at first see a landscape dominated by pines. Closer observation reveals a great diversity of plants--patterns of contrasting vegetation caused by the complex physical and biotic factors at work. In this richly vegetated area, a rise of only four feet in elevation can bring significant changes in community composition, changes comparable, perhaps, to those occurring on a four-thousand-foot mountainside. The descriptions in this guide are useful not only for identification but also for their help in enhancing the user's knowledge of the plants. Each description is followed by information on the habitat in which the species is known to occur, the species' general location within the area under study, and its overall geographic range. Whenever possible, vegetative characteristics have been used in the keys so that the book is useful beyond the sometimes brief flowering seasons of the species. The use of technical terminology has been minimized in the keys and descriptions, and a full glossary is provided. Based on thirty years of constant study and firsthand observation, Robert K. Godfrey's manual is a definitive work on this area's notably diverse woody flora, from the common longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and Jackson-brier (Smilax smallii) to locally rarer species such as the fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica), Spanish bayonet (Yucca gloriosa), and ornamental Chinese tallow-tree (Sapium sebiferum).

"A carefully illustrated, simply written manual for the layman."--The Garden Journal "How much more enjoyable it is to visit the Florida forests when you know the trees. How much more pleasure it would have been for me when I was growing up in the North Florida woods if I could have had a copy of a book like this . . . a book filled with hundreds of descriptions and pen and ink illustrations that show the principal identifying features of the species described."--Nixon Smiley, Miami Herald "Many keys and clear line drawings contribute to make this book an excellent field guide."--Tampa Tribune The north Florida landscape is blanketed by an arboreal tapestry of exceeding interest and beauty, which derives from the great diversity of trees and shrubs and their presence in great numbers. For anyone with an interest in natural history, these woodlands are ideal and fascinating to explore and study. Trees of Northern Florida, containing complete identification data, descriptions, illustrations, and geographic ranges, serves as a manual for amateurs and professionals alike. The trees included in this book are those which are native to northern Florida and those which have been introduced into cultivation and have become established in the wild. North Florida as a geographical area is arbitrarily defined as that portion of the state north of a line drawn from the Atlantic Coast through the Ocala National Forest, Marion County, continuing through the Gulf Hammock, Levy County, to the Gulf Coast. The trees described are also nearly all those which occur in the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

If you can't get enough of majestic trees, brightly colored flowers, and anything that grows from the ground up, you'll love this guide to 74 outstanding tropical flowering trees that will grow in Florida's subtropical climate. From the huge canopy of red blossoms on Royal Poinciana, to the eye-dazzling yellow of Tree of Gold, the most breathtaking of Florida's flowering trees are represented within the pages of this full-color book. Looking for beautiful trees that don't mind the cold of north Florida? Try Golden Rain Tree, Mimosa, or Crape Myrtle. Prefer easy-to-grow trees that aren't fussy about soil conditions or location? Golden Rain Tree, Mimosa, or Yellow Jacaranda are a good bet. Ambitious gardeners may want to talckle Scarlet Bean, Sacred Garlic Pear, or Lance Pod. People wishing to add to their collections of horticultural books--take note! This book contains photos of species not found in any other major publication. Bombax rhodognaphalon, Bauhinia semla, Bauhinia refescens, and Jacaranda jasminoides are examples of species listed in obscure technical journals without photos to do them justice. Written for both the seasoned arborist and the weekend gardener alike, this comprehensive handbook includes the Latin name and pronunciation as well as the common name for each tree listed. You'll also find practical cultivation tips and advice on caring for the flowering trees in your neck of the woods, including information on soil conditions, pruning, watering, and feeding. Temperature trend charts, a zone map, a handy glossary, and a bibliography round out this complete guide to growing the most colorful, beautiful trees in the Sunshine State.

Presents a guide to Florida's trees, including descriptions of nearly five hundred species, illustrations, and outlines that help to identify specific trees based on their physical characteristics.