I became interested in Arkansas trees and shrubs at an early age. My father would allow me to tag along while he was quail hunting. He delighted in teaching me what was what in the woods and fields of southwest Arkansas.
"Be careful not to grab that devil's walkingstick," he would holler.
"Don't get stuck in those briars. We'll come back here in the spring and see if those blackberry vines are blooming. Rub your fingers on the leaves of that bayberry and see how good they smell."
Soon, I was begging him to drive along Palmetto Road near where Clark County and Dallas County meet so we could check out what we referred to as "the palmetto woods." The dwarf palmetto covering the ground made it seem more like Louisiana or Florida than Arkansas. We sometimes would dig one up and take it back into town for our yard.
Once I joined the Boy Scouts, I discovered that the leaders of Troop 24 also enjoyed identifying native species. I wandered through the woods bordering the Ouachita River near our home in Arkadelphia, seeing how many things I could identify. I took special delight in the huge American beech trees dotting those hills, wondering how many years the initials carved by college students into the smooth bark had been there.
Given that background, you can imagine how excited I was to receive my copy of "Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines of Arkansas," a new book from the Ozark Society Foundation. Proceeds will support the conservation and education efforts of the Ozark Society. The book has 520 pages and almost 1,500 color photographs, maps and illustrations. To call it authoritative would be an understatement.
The book includes:
• Detailed descriptions of trees, shrubs and woody vines in the state along with their common and scientific names, distributions and habitats.
• County-level distribution maps.
• Sections on the various regions of the state.
• A glossary of technical terms along with botanical drawings.
• An index of scientific and common names.
The book was compiled by Jennifer Ogle, Theo Witsell and Johnnie Gentry.
Ogle is the collections manager for the University of Arkansas' herbarium. She has a master's degree in biology from the UA and has worked as a consultant for government agencies, private companies and nonprofit organizations. Ogle, who serves on the boards of several organizations focused on urban land conservation, previously was co-editor of "Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas."
Witsell is the ecologist and research chief for the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the curator of the commission's herbarium. He has worked as a contract botanist and was one of the founders of the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative. Witsell was co-editor of "Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas" and has written more than 30 scientific papers and book chapters.
Gentry is a UA emeritus professor of biology. As coordinator of the Arkansas Vascular Flora Project, he led field crews across the state collecting specimens. Gentry oversaw publication of "Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas" and "Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas."
"Arkansas is a tremendously diverse state both geologically and botanically," Arkansas-based television host and lifestyle adviser P. Allen Smith writes in the book's foreword. "The second naturally follows the first, and the native flora, range of soils and climate of Arkansas make it a compelling place to explore. The authors of 'Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines of Arkansas' are to be applauded as the latest and most thorough documentarians of the flora of Arkansas.
"This is a colossal body of work that will inform and benefit many, enthusiasts and professionals alike, for decades to come. This book could not be more timely. At a time when habitat destruction is occurring at an alarming rate, this book serves the very crucial role of informing and raising awareness about the importance of the conservation of natural areas and resources. It also serves as a teaching tool for those who simply want to understand the anatomy of plants and discover their endlessly rich story."
Interest in gardening has reached an all-time high during the pandemic. Smith says that includes a renewed appreciation of native plants.
"Climate change has sent home gardeners on a journey of incorporating more indigenous species into their landscapes," he writes. "Resilience and adaptability of these native plants are highly desirable traits when creating a new garden or modifying an existing one. For those who garden, it is well known that trees and shrubs make the framework or bones of any garden, the foundational elements in the design of outside spaces."
Smith says he will use the book on a regular basis at his Moss Mountain Farm, which overlooks the Arkansas River in the northwest corner of Pulaski County where the Ouachita Mountains meet the Arkansas River Valley.
"The diversity of native species found at our farm is extraordinary due to the close proximity to the river and the mesic hills that surround it," he says. "This book has deepened my personal appreciation and understanding of my immediate environment and has helped me identify more accurately many of the plants that I live among. I find especially useful the differentiation made between native species, those that have naturalized, and invasives. These are important distinctions as we make choices in the plants we select for our gardens."
Senior Editor Rex Nelson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He's also the author of the Southern Fried blog at rexnelsonsouthernfried.com.