Phyllis Reynolds co-wrote “Trees of Greater Portland”, published in 1993. Twenty years later, she has written the second edition of this worthy guide to urban trees, narrowing her definition of “Greater Portland” so that most of the subjects now included are within the city limits. The Miller Library has both editions.
She revisited and re-photographed all the trees from the first edition, sadly removing the ones that are gone, but adding some that are new. Most interesting is comparing the photographs of the same tree in the two editions after twenty years more growth. One of the most remarkable is a Malus x domestica ‘Yellow Bellflower’, a winter apple with pale yellow fruit. Thought to be planted in 1848, it still blooms and bears fruit.
For the Portland resident or visitor, the nine tree tours at the end of each book will be of the most interest. These are in neighborhoods especially rich with notable trees, many profiled earlier in the book. To sharpen your recognition skills, the author only identifies one example of each species on the walk, as she explains, “This should be a learning experience.”
Excerpted from the Fall 2017 Arboretum Bulletin.