Trees of Power

Ten Essential Arboreal Allies

By: Akiva Silver

Narrated by: Madison Niederhauser

Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

The organic grower's guide to planting, propagation, culture, and ecology. 

Trees are our allies in healing the world. Partnering with trees allows us to build soil, enhance biodiversity, increase wildlife populations, grow food and medicine, and pull carbon out of the atmosphere, sequestering it in the soil. Author Akiva Silver is an enthusiastic tree grower with years of experience running his own commercial nursery. In this audiobook, he clearly explains the most important concepts necessary for success with perennial woody plants. 

It’s broken down into two parts: the first covering concepts and horticultural skills and the second with in-depth information on individual species. You’ll learn different ways to propagate trees: by seed, grafting, layering, or with cuttings. These time-honored techniques make it easy for anyone to increase their stock of trees, simply and inexpensively. 

Ten chapters focus on the specific ecology, culture, and uses of different trees, ones that are common to North America and in other temperate parts of the world: 

• Chestnut: the bread tree
• Apple: the magnetic center
• Poplar: the homemaker
• Ash: maker of wood
• Mulberry: the giving tree
• Elderberry: the caretaker
• Hickory: pillar of life
• Hazelnut: the provider
• Black Locust: the restoration tree
• Beech: the root runner

Trees of Power fills an urgent need for up-to-date information on some of our most important tree species, those that have multiple benefits for humans, animals, and nature. It also provides inspiration for new generations of tree stewards and caretakers who will not only benefit themselves, but leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

Trees of Power is for everyone who wants to connect with trees. It is for the survivalist, the gardener, the homesteader, the forager, the permaculturist, the environmentalist, the parent, the schoolteacher, the farmer, and anyone who feels a deep kinship with these magnificent beings.

©2019 Akiva Silver (P)2019 Chelsea Green Publishing

Slow down to 75% speed

Beautiful, thorough and inspiring. I highly recommend this book but also highly recommend that readers slow down the hurried narrator by 25% to fully be with such a book.

In praise of native trees

Thirty-five years ago I planted little one-foot native bare-root trees on a difficult-to-mow hill behind our house in a suburbanized neighborhood. I now have a beautiful mini- forest of black walnuts, beech, shagbark hickory and butternuts. After listening to this book I have a far greater appreciation for these native trees, and am very gratified to realize that not only did the trees solve the problem of mowing, they offset greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, and confirm how important a habitat it has become for local wildlife. We are just beginning to harvest walnuts which are so delicious and we look forward to the first beechnuts and hickory nuts. This is such an inspirational book, I am inspired to plant more trees on the flat expanse of remaining lawn. Listen to this eloquent book and you’ll see every native tree for the miracle it is, and possibly be inspired to create a forest of your own.

Powerful, informative, transformative, practical

An inspiring look at cultivating and appreciating the gifts of trees. A text to return to, rich in information, but easy to digest and flow with. Wonderful!

Trees: useful, wonderfully complex, and powerful!

Akiva does a great job discussing a wide range of trees, their many uses and also their potential uses, while discussing them like someone talking about their friend they care deeply about.

what a wonderful and beautiful walk through

It's like the author is taking you to introduce you to dear family. Wonderful and full of beautiful and detailed information!

Excellent

I really enjoyed the combination of story and practical knowledge given in this book. Thank You.

Book about trees?

Is this a book about trees? So far I’ve listened to 10 minutes about the evils of the white man. Will return this unless we get on with the point. Wasn’t included in the description.

Excellent book with a lot of practical infomation

The title of the book refers to ten specific trees, but this book has much more conten than that. A third of the book is filled with very useful, clear and condensed informartion on propagating and caring for trees in general. Heartily recommended to anyone interested in growing and/or maintaining trees, even if the ten trees here are not all suitable for your climate. Every page of this book is brimming with information. No fluff.
The reader is quie nice too.

loved this book!

After hearing this book I resolve to start planting trees and do my part. I did not even think I would be moved in such a way to want to plant trees but the narrator influenced me to just do it and I feel more knowledgeable to start.

Inspirational

Very informative and practical outlook that I'll be listening to again and again. Although I'm not in the same growing region I've learnt alot from this book