The Nature of Oaks

The Nature of Oaks

“Packed with fascinating stories of ecological connections and wonders, this beautiful book is a hymn to the keystones of the forest, the oaks. A timely and much needed call to plant, protect, and delight in these diverse, life-giving giants.”

—David George Haskell, author of Pulitzer finalist, The Forest Unseen, and Burroughs Medalist, The Songs of Trees; Professor, University of the South

As we take an up close and personal look at the oak trees on the grounds of the Upperville Horse Show in Upperville, we wanted to share a fascinating book on this iconic tree.

Doug Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. His book, Bringing Nature Home, was awarded the 2008 Silver Medal by the Garden Writers’ Association. He is also the author of two New York Times bestsellers: The Living Landscape, Nature’s Best Hope and this gem, The Nature of Oaks.

Tallamy has established himself as one of the conservation movement’s most respected and important advocates, detailing how to make a difference in the future of the planet and all its inhabitants from our own backyards. Now in The Nature of Oaks, Tallamy pays homage to a giant of the plant kingdom—the mighty oak tree.

Oaks support more life forms and interactions than any other tree genus in North America, sustaining everything from acorn-collecting woodpeckers to caterpillars that dazzle like jewels.

They nurture a crucial and complex web of wildlife above ground, but are just as impressive underground, producing enormous root systems that make them champions of carbon sequestration, soil stabilization, and watershed management. In The Nature of Oaks, Tallamy uncovers the busy hub of life in an oak tree through the seasons, and once again turns the nature that surrounds us into a source of wonder and discovery.

Highlighting the cyclical seasons of life, death, and renewal, Tallamy beautifully frames the unique interaction between the trees and the life forms that depend on them.

His signature, how-to advice includes practical tips on how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area. Whether you have or want oaks in your yard, or just appreciate their irreplaceable role in the health of our environment, this fascinating book will ensure you never look at a “common” oak tree the same way ever again.

Available at Second Chapter Books in Middleburg.