New Zealand's native trees are truly remarkable. From the massive kauri - the third-largest tree in the world - the showy pohutukawa and rata, and the ubiquitous cabbage tree to rare and endangered species found only on offshore islands, our glorious and diverse trees deserve to be recognised, understood and celebrated. New Zealand's Native Trees is a landmark book that describes and generously illustrates more than 250 species. Beginning with the magnificent conifers and iconic tree ferns, and giving full treatment to the numerous flowering species, including the distinctive southern beeches, the often-overlooked coprosmas and the curious tree daisies, this book is no once-over-lightly. The text for each species describes every botanical feature in detail, along with habitat, ecology and key relationships with other plants and animals. More than 2000 superb photographs illustrate fascinating close details along with wider views of specimens and habitats. Break-out features reveal the interesting stories of the lifestyles of our trees, answering questions such as: Why do we have so many trees with juvenile forms? How do trees survive in waterlogged environments?
Why is rimu so important to the survival of the kakapo? Clear-cut illustrations of leaves are included for each species, arranged in plates for easy identification of larger groups, John Salmon's The Native Trees of New Zealand has been a bestseller for nearly 30 years. This new book, by acclaimed author-photographer team John Dawson and Rob Lucas, takes this ever-popular subject into the 21st century by bringing in evolution, biodiversity and environmental threats. It is a beautiful and essential reference for every New Zealand home, school and library.