Four sample pages of the Dirr app

With new apps coming out every day, I thought I would take a look at a couple of new offerings that pertain to trees.

The one everyone’s talking about right now is “Dirr’s Tree and Shrub Finder.” It costs $14.99. and if you read the reviews, it is worth every penny.

This app is based on University of Georgia horticulture professor Michael Dirr’s “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants.” Dirr, an icon in the hort world, is also the author of “Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs” which is a must-have reference for any gardener’s library.

Anyway, back to the app: with 1,670 species and 7,800 cultivars, it’s certainly comprehensive. I have not bought it yet because my device does not have enough memory to support it (major bummer) but the photographs seem to be very high quality. This app allows you to search using 72 (!) different criteria such as growth habit, fall color and growing requirements. I think this is a most useful app for both home and professional gardeners, and as soon as I get a device with sufficient memory, I will gleefully download it.

The "What tree is that" app

The second app is called “What tree is that?” after the Arbor Day Foundation’s well-loved tree identification guide. I have used the paper version since I became a tree steward several years ago. It uses a process of elimination to finally lead you to the correct ID. There are 250 trees in this app, and they are accompanied by illustrations and descriptions. I love the original field guide, but the reviews of this app, so far at least, are negative. One reviewer says it is overpriced at $4.99, and another person complained that the app didn’t include any trees from Florida. I guess the jury is still out on this one, but if you don’t already have the paper field guide, by all means get yourself one here. It’s a terrific tool.