In The Tree Collectors, Amy Stewart paints a picture of the lives and work of fifty different people, literally and figuratively. As I hold the hardbound book in my hand and flip through it, I find beautiful illustrations on every page, sketches that have been hand drawn by Stewart herself. Through these she manages to create a thread that runs within their stories. All of these people have one thing in common – they collect trees.
Initially I’m drawn to the book purely because I’m curious. Who collects trees? The idea came to Stewart ten years ago when she met someone named Len Eiserer, who introduced himself as a tree collector. This was someone who lined up trees in his garden as closely as he could, just like a book collector would on a shelf. The author admits that perhaps that one person alone might not have prompted her to go looking, but over the next few years she met other people with a similar penchant. By the time she encountered the third tree collector, she knew this was something she had to go deeper into.
As someone with four different lemon trees in their terrace garden, and a constant itch to keep adding more, I can relate to an obsession with trees. But it still came as a surprise to me that there are people who have made it the centre of their life’s work. Plus, as Stewart says herself, trees are huge, so how exactly does one collect them? What techniques are people deploying to do this work? How much time are people spending on it? I need these and a lot more questions answered if I am truly to turn into a tree collector myself – an idea that seems quite plausible now that I’ve read this book.
Some of the people Stewart writes about plant trees, while others use trees or parts of them for art, and others might just be involved in cataloguing the trees. What stands out is the diversity of motivations of people who immerse themselves in this hobby. Some satisfy a personal desire, some want to preserve trees as an act of environmental protection, some do it for art, some do it for togetherness and community. Stewart describes a man in Rajasthan, India who began to plant one tree for every female child born in his village, to honour them. In a country where female infanticide is rampant, this man was spreading an invaluable message, and in writing about him the author has shown that she values justice too. She skilfully humanises these individuals, turning a subject that might have been niche into something universally relatable.
Another of the book’s protagonists – since that’s what they all are – grafts multiple plants onto one main stem to create a single tree that bears 40 different fruits – an artist and his masterpiece! Through this particular story, I learned not only about the artist, Sam Van Aken, but also about four different techniques of grafting and what they look like. For an avid gardener, this book is full of profound concepts.
In one section, Stewart tells the story of Sairus Patel and how he catalogues trees, and how, in doing so, he has a collection of sorts. Through a ‘How To’ section at the end of that chapter, she guides and encourages us to do the same. This also brings out the Nature-loving, environmentalist side of the author.
At its core, The Tree Collectors is a celebration of Nature’s resilience and beauty. For readers who appreciate environmental writing or who are looking for a book that bridges the gap between personal stories and scientific enquiry, it will resonate as both a captivating narrative and an educational journey. Here is a book that will leave you with a renewed appreciation for the trees that silently shape our world, and for the people working tirelessly to protect them, their passion both inspiring and crucial for future generations.
The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession by Amy Stewart. Random House, 2024. ISBN: 9780593446850.
