The Inner Life of Trees : Secrets Revealed with Illustrated Overlays

An expert forest ecologist unveils nature's living giants, with stunning illustrations and innovative translucent overlays revealing their hidden wonders, from leaves and roots to ecosystems.

From the sugar maple to the coast redwood, uncover the hidden workings of twenty different trees, each beautifully revealed with innovative translucent overlays.

Essential to life on Earth—not only environmentally, but also culturally and spiritually—trees are the silent guardians of our planet. Lavishly illustrated throughout—and interlaced with transparent overlays that lift to reveal the secret workings of the ecosystems beneath—this beautiful book is a tribute to the living, breathing giants that sustain life on Earth.  

In twenty fascinating and often surprising essays, readers can unpack the secret life of trees, exploring everything from root networks and leaf structures to the latest discoveries in “tree communication.” Beneath the canopy of the dragon blood tree lies a unique microclimate, the Great Basin bristlecone pine reveals the science of dendrology and the methods used to determine a tree’s age, while the sophisticated water systems of the redwoods help explain how these giants rise to extraordinary heights. From mangroves and the English oak to the ancient ginkgo, the distinctive bulging trunk of the baobab, and the familiar garden apple tree, each story uncovers the hidden life within. For all nature and tree lovers who want to know more about nature’s majestic cathedrals, this engaging and accessible approach offers an insight into the marvelous and miraculous ecosystems of trees.