INCREDIBLE

Astonishing, overachieving trees impress in this oversized album.

An accomplished illustrator, Flouw admits that in the past, he’s often drawn trees in the background of his artwork without giving a thought to different species. Redressing that slight, he depicts some extremes of the tree world, notable for “size, longevity, strength” or other unique characteristics. Starting with useful brief definitions of vocabulary (photosynthesis, range, inflorescence) and a note on nomenclature, Flouw organizes his 49 subjects into 16 groups. Considering that the goal is specificity, the illustrations are surprisingly stylized, but Flouw demonstrates that flat, quasi-geometric forms can still convincingly convey a tree’s individuality. A general description of each type is accompanied by a specific example, like a banyan in India called Thimmamma Marrimanu, known for its five-acre canopy, or the rare King’s holly in Tasmania, a clone of an original 43,600-year-old plant. Readers will also learn about the elephant cactus, waterborne algae such as the giant kelp, the 82-foot-long leaves of the royal raffia palm, the smelly rafflesia and titan arum (aka corpse flower), and the jackfruit, which produces the largest fruit of any tree. The entries’ brevity leaves unanswered questions (Why are sea coconuts disappearing? Are sea heart pods edible?) but may inspire readers to do further research. Sacred, toxic, ancient, medicinal, sadly vulnerable, or special in other ways, these are trees to know and cherish.

Budding arborists, environmentalists, and collectors of unusual information will find treasures here.