The tree: a natural history of what trees are, how they live, and why they matter

What is a tree? How trees became Wood All the trees in the world: Trees without flowers: the conifers Trees with flowers: magnolias and other primitives From palms and screw pines to yuccas and bamboos The monocot trees Thoroughly modern broadleaves From oaks to mangoes: the glorious invention of rose-like eudicots From handkerchief trees to teak: the daisy-like eudicots The life of trees: How trees live Which trees live where, and why The social life of trees: war or peace? Trees and us The future with trees

Illustrations: The Buddha receiving enlightenment under a peepul tree

Judas tree

Jungle scene

Dicksonia

All land plants graph

Cycad

Ginko

Young yew

Bristlecone pine

Juniper

Magnolias and other primitives

Tulip tree

The flowering plant orders

Dragon tree

The monocots

Young royal palm

Double coconut palm

Bamboos

Traveler's palm

Large cacti

The eudicots

Baobab

The rosids

Banyan

Beech

Birch

Handkerchief tree

The asterids

Cannonball tree

Teak

Holly

Mangroves

Coastal redwoods rerooting themselves

Continental drift

Fig

Bat pollination

The syconium (fruit) of a fig

Agroforestry.