The initial edition of Forest Trees of Illinois was written in 1927 by
W. R. Mattoon and R. B. Miller, two prominent foresters in the state at
that time. This was revised in 1955 by Dr. George Damon Fuller, then of
the Illinois State Museum, and E. E. Nuuttila, State Forester of
Illinois.
In 1973, I prepared the first edition of the new Forest Trees of
Illinois with new text, keys, photographs, and illustrations. An updated
second edition was published in 1978. Because of the heavy demand for
this work, this third edition has been prepared.
Woody plants are usually divided into trees and shrubs, but the
difference between these growth forms is not always distinct. In this
work, we consider a plant to be of tree stature if it has a single erect
trunk which branches above the ground to form a crown. It must have a
diameter of at least 3 inches 4½ feet above the ground and an overall
height of 12 feet. Some of the plants included in this work are
borderline between trees and shrubs. The height of a plant may be
influenced by its geography. Thus, the Gray Dogwood (_Cornus racemosa_)
in extreme southern Illinois may reach the dimensions of a small tree,
but this same species in northern Illinois is also of a shrubby stature.
Almost every kind of plant in the world is known by a Common Name and a
Latin Name. The Common Name is the one used locally by residents of the
area. It is of limited value because people in different areas sometimes
have different names for the same plant. For example, one of the trees
in Illinois is known by some as the Ironwood, by others as the Blue
Beech, by others as the American Hornbeam, and by still others as the
Musclewood Tree. Then again, the name Ironwood applies to at least two
different kinds of trees in Illinois. The Latin Name for each kind of
tree is known the World over by the same name. Actually, the Latin Name
is composed of two words, the genus name, which is always capitalized,
and the specific epithet, which is not capitalized.
Of all the kinds of plants in the World, none is so well-loved, so
stately and majestic, as a forest tree. More and more people each year
are vacationing and seeking outdoor recreation. Many of them “take to
the woods” for their leisure, because the forests of our state hold an
unending fascination to many who enter them.
Moreover, trees provide us with building material for our homes, shade
for our lawns and parks, and hundreds of other products used in our
everyday living.
To know the trees we encounter is to enhance our appreciation for them.
The purpose of FOREST TREES OF ILLINOIS is to bring to Illinoisans a
means of identifying the trees that grow in this state.