Rating: 
Summary: Another Quality Dirr Effort
Review: A wonderful companion to his landmark "Manual" and 1997 illustrated book of hardy trees/shrubs, this newest effort deserves a spot on the book shelf of every woody plant lover. The biggest strength of this volume is its well conceived format, brief text supplemented by quality photographs. Southern plants are often not covered adequately by mainstream literature, so this book fills a key niche. Included within the volume are old favorites, trendy "new" exotics and wonderful natives seldom described and photographed in popular literature. There are, of course, some notable omissions in terms of species and cultivars, but this tome nonetheless is highly functional and enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: Not good for Southern California
Review: I am still waiting for a reference book like this for Southern California. This book largely ignores us. Virtually nothing on Eucalyptus. Half our palms aren't there. NO bamboo at all. No Agapanthus even. Lots of holes. Suprising that there is still only Gordon Courtwright's books.
Rating:
Summary: Not good for Southern California
Review: I am still waiting for a reference book like this for Southern California. This book largely ignores us. Virtually nothing on Eucalyptus. Half our palms aren't there. NO bamboo at all. No Agapanthus even. Lots of holes. Suprising that there is still only Gordon Courtwright's books.
Rating: 
Summary: Can't believe I am rating this low
Review: I can't believe what I am saying. If you love trees, shrubs, and vines, basically the foundation of any decent garden, then Dirr is the authority on them - face south, put down your prayer rug, and start genuflecting (sp?).Living in Athens, Georgia, I had the greatest expectations for this book for southern gardeners as he typically calls them as he sees them when it comes to horticultural value of a particular plant - I absolutely love his descriptions based on his knowledge of the horticultural relevance of a given plant - basically this one is worth it, this one [is bad]... I can't even begin to convey the disappointment with this book. Where are the signature trees for the southern garden - dogwoods and redbuds and all their varieties. Nowhere is there any discussion of redbuds, and the only Cornus description is Cornus capitata, Bentham's Cornel. I like that he talked about a species I had not heard about previously, but where are descriptions and pictures of the signature trees of the South and all their varieties? No excuse for this - I repeat, no excuse for this. What on God's green earth was he thinking? Buy the hardy trees and shrubs book in order to find out about the signature plants in the southern landscape? Obviously to me, an editorial decision. No excuse, no excuse, no excuse. I'm going to repeat this - absolutely inexcusable. It is probably the editor's fault, not Dirr's, but still, there is NO EXCUSE for this. The great Southern plants and all their varieties should be described in great detail along with pictures of the varieties. Shame on you, Dr. Dirr, for allowing this to happen with your name on it...
Rating:
Summary: Can't believe I am rating this low
Review: I can't believe what I am saying. If you love trees, shrubs, and vines, basically the foundation of any decent garden, then Dirr is the authority on them - face south, put down your prayer rug, and start genuflecting (sp?). Living in Athens, Georgia, I had the greatest expectations for this book for southern gardeners as he typically calls them as he sees them when it comes to horticultural value of a particular plant - I absolutely love his descriptions based on his knowledge of the horticultural relevance of a given plant - basically this one is worth it, this one [is bad]... I can't even begin to convey the disappointment with this book. Where are the signature trees for the southern garden - dogwoods and redbuds and all their varieties. Nowhere is there any discussion of redbuds, and the only Cornus description is Cornus capitata, Bentham's Cornel. I like that he talked about a species I had not heard about previously, but where are descriptions and pictures of the signature trees of the South and all their varieties? No excuse for this - I repeat, no excuse for this. What on God's green earth was he thinking? Buy the hardy trees and shrubs book in order to find out about the signature plants in the southern landscape? Obviously to me, an editorial decision. No excuse, no excuse, no excuse. I'm going to repeat this - absolutely inexcusable. It is probably the editor's fault, not Dirr's, but still, there is NO EXCUSE for this. The great Southern plants and all their varieties should be described in great detail along with pictures of the varieties. Shame on you, Dr. Dirr, for allowing this to happen with your name on it...
Rating:
Summary: Dirrs trees and shrubs for warm climates
Review: I don't know what the above reviewer expected...by way of clarification; bamboos are grasses, and agapanthus are herbaceous perennials NOT shrubs or trees. If you are expecting to find a comprehensive acount of all warm climate plants this is not the book for you (as the title clearly states) If you are someone who is looking for a good primary survey of trees and shrubs for this zone this is an extremely useful book. Professional and non-professional alike. It may not have every esoteric specie but it will serve as a solid foundation of what performs best.
Rating:
Summary: Dirrs trees and shrubs for warm climates
Review: I don't know what the above reviewer expected...by way of clarification; bamboos are grasses, and agapanthus are herbaceous perennials NOT shrubs or trees. If you are expecting to find a comprehensive acount of all warm climate plants this is not the book for you (as the title clearly states) If you are someone who is looking for a good primary survey of trees and shrubs for this zone this is an extremely useful book. Professional and non-professional alike. It may not have every esoteric specie but it will serve as a solid foundation of what performs best.
Rating: 
Summary: A necessity for Southeastern US gardners
Review: In this book, our leading expert on woody plants gives brief descriptions and excellent photos of many of those suited for warm climates. As noted by another reviewer, the selection is more complete for the humid Southeast (of the U.S.) than it is for California and other Mediterranean climates. However, I expect that all warm-climate gardeners will find much of value.
It is important to note that this book complements Dirr's two other major efforts on woody plants: his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants and a photographic volume (similar to this one) called Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs. The Manual provides more detailed taxonomic and cultural information (including info on propagation), but has line drawings of foliage only. The two photographic books cover most woody plants suited to the U.S. There is no overlap between the photographic books, which is why redbud and dogwood aren't found in this volume, as noted by a previous reviewer. They are hardy, and they are in Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs.
This book is invaluable for seeing what mature specimens of these plants will look like and for Dirr's always interesting comments on suitable uses and culture. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Worth every penny.
Review: This volume is the perfect companion to Dirr's other magnificent books, "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" and "Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs." These books aren't cheap so if you really, really have to pick just one, buy the "Manual" for its comprehensive, even exhaustive, coverage. But then do whatever you can to scrape together enough money to buy the other two volumes! They provide less information than the "Manual", but are worth their price for the color illustrations alone. Both are handsomely produced books, the kind for which Timber Press is becoming well-known. One particular asset of this book with respect to the others is its treatment of palms and several genera and species that were given short shrift, or not mentioned at all, in Dirr's "Manual". Throughout the book, Dirr's opinionated good nature and conversational writing style makes it a pleasure to read. A previous reviewer bemoaned the fact that well-known southern plants are missing from this volume. In fact, it is a valuable reference precisely because there is virtually no overlap with "Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs." Already owning the previous volume, I was very pleased to find that the new book complements it perfectly; plants that were previously discussed are not repeated. Sure, you have to buy both books, but have I already mentioned that it's worth it? Although I am sure I will find more as I read the book more carefully, the only error I have found so far is the misspelling "Rhapidiophyllum" for "Rhapidophyllum".
Rating:
Summary: Worth every penny.
Review: This volume is the perfect companion to Dirr's other magnificent books, "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" and "Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs." These books aren't cheap so if you really, really have to pick just one, buy the "Manual" for its comprehensive, even exhaustive, coverage. But then do whatever you can to scrape together enough money to buy the other two volumes! They provide less information than the "Manual", but are worth their price for the color illustrations alone. Both are handsomely produced books, the kind for which Timber Press is becoming well-known. One particular asset of this book with respect to the others is its treatment of palms and several genera and species that were given short shrift, or not mentioned at all, in Dirr's "Manual". Throughout the book, Dirr's opinionated good nature and conversational writing style makes it a pleasure to read. A previous reviewer bemoaned the fact that well-known southern plants are missing from this volume. In fact, it is a valuable reference precisely because there is virtually no overlap with "Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs." Already owning the previous volume, I was very pleased to find that the new book complements it perfectly; plants that were previously discussed are not repeated. Sure, you have to buy both books, but have I already mentioned that it's worth it? Although I am sure I will find more as I read the book more carefully, the only error I have found so far is the misspelling "Rhapidiophyllum" for "Rhapidophyllum".
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