Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future—4.6 Stars
- Apr 4
- 3 min read
04/04/2025
“Trees are also our custodians, forecasters, and predictors in an era of changing climates.” (p. xiii) “They live in deep literary context, their roots everywhere.” (p. xiii) — Daniel Lewis in Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future
Author Daniel Lewis chose the twelve trees for his book based on their long journeys, their accomplices and enemies, how they need our help, our instruction, and our instruments, and how one would select friends. Trees, he indicates, are our future.
Master Gardener volunteers who participated in the March book club discussion were awed by his ability to paint images with his words and by the incredible way he connects each tree with others and with the social, political, economical, emotional, spiritual, and practical ways trees shape our world views and our interactions. The twelve trees included in the essays are the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, the Coast Redwood, Sophora toromiro (called “the nearly lost tree of Rapa Nui”), Hymenaea protera (a tree species about which information has been gleaned from the insects in the tree’s amber), the Longleaf Pine, the East Indian Sandalwood Tree, Central African Forest Ebony, the Blue Gum Eucalyptus, the Olive Tree, the African Baobab, the Bald Cypress, and the Ceipa Tree.
Readers noted that as community members and volunteers, we have the opportunity to draw together the themes in the book, to share with others the important information in the book that centers around connection, to create a culture of curiosity surrounding trees, to present the historical perspective of trees in our ecosystems.
Reader Poll
Enjoyable - 4.7 out of 5 stars
Educational - 4.2 out of 5 stars
Recommended - 4.8 out of 5 stars
Reader Comments
I really liked how the book chose to profile twelve different trees and weave common themes through each profile.
I felt like I almost "got to know" each tree and it helped to break down the monolith of "trees" to remind me that each is unique.
Incredible information about the twelve tree species. It will get me to read more about trees. Well written.
I appreciated the scientific and cultural history of these great trees.
Knowing how many trees are being cut down every day, month and year, sometimes without purpose, is disturbing.
I'd like to learn about trees with purpose in urban environments.
I enjoyed the introduction to twelve trees that I would not have known about or not have known the history. The author describes each tree, its history, its environment, how it was/is used by humans and how we value the tree, land, and wildlife.
There are so many stories that connect and demonstrate how essential the networks of trees are to our world's health.
I really liked the anecdotes he used, I often was reminded of tree/plant lovers I know.
This was an excellent, thought-provoking book. His writing is very descriptive and enjoyable to read, yet brings forth the need to learn from past history written in these trees and apply it to our future world.
Very well written with interesting facts and also tugged at my heart strings. Let’s all become Tree Care Advocates!! By reading this book, we are one step closer.
Next Book Club Discussion – May 29, 2025
The selection for May 2025 is The Serviceberry:Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Listen to the author speak about her inspiration in this short video.