Book excerpt: With Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines, acclaimed horticulturalist and bestselling author William Cullina continues his authoritative three-part series on the native species of North America. This user-friendly guide encourages the concept of ecological gardening by working with strictly native flora, and presents a trove of helpful information with lively, easily accessible prose. This encyclopedic guide to temperate North American woody plants covers nearly one thousand native varieties, arranged alphabetically by genus and species. Writing with enjoyable, easy-to-read language and drawing from a deep wellspring of personal experience, Cullina discusses all of the important details you need to select and cultivate each species, including their taxonomic and genetic data, Latin name pronunciations, optimal geographic ranges, soil needs, light and habitat requirements, information about pruning and diseases, and propagation difficulty ratings. It also notes the value of each species for attracting wildlife and highlights the threat of invasive species. Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines is also beautifully illustrated with over 400 color photographs of each genus, and includes recommendations detailing conditions under which various species thrive. Cullina is also passionate about environmentally-responsible native plant landscaping and gives valuable advice with the larger environment in mind. This book is an indispensable resource for any landscape designer or home gardener's library.