This is were the enormity of the internet comes in - that is your giant information source with a capacity far beyond what is possible with individual published volumes (digital or paper), sets of volumes or even individual web sites.

You have to learn to research these things yourself, using, as a start as Embo says, the internet.

"A case in point is Abies numidica ( Algerian Fir ) - this species is rated for zone 6, but how well does it perform in ambient summer temps above 90 degrees, with high humidity, and alkaline soils with a neutral ph balance?"

Search the holdings of botanical gardens in places with those conditions. In the past couple decades there's been a general move afoot/notion that botanical gardens should in some way make their collection info available online. Like, I don't know of any botanical gardens in KS or OK, but surely there are some. I've even used one such database to determine the interesting fact that only Larix kaempferis grown from Japanese sourced seeds (having the heterosis of wild collected seed) lasted at some midwestern botanical garden; those from western sources did not. Because inbreeding seems to be a major problem with the world's Larch seed stocks.

The main horticultural involvement Albers is known for is this:

Home - Albers Marcovina Vista Gardens | Botanical Garden in Kitsap County | Bremerton, WA (albersvistagardens.org)

I've been looking at some other books with titles that imply information of that type - unfortunately, none of them seem to be cheap; of course, any physical book so jam-packed with all that info would be steep in price.

One is titled, "The Conifer Manual: Volume 1 (Forestry Sciences Volume (34)) 1991st Edition" by Humphrey J. Welch.

Another is titled, "Manual of Cultivated Conifers" by Gerd Krussmann, Michael Epp, and Gilbert S. Daniels.

And another is titled, "Ecological Forest Management" by Jerry F. Franklin, K. Norman Johnson and Debora L. Johnson.

Yes, the problem with books dedicated to forestry is that such books appeal to a limited demographic, and, as such, are difficult to find and/or expensive to buy. Books on residential landscaping are much more prevalent but almost never deal, for example, with growing conifers from seed. Having said that, in general, the landscaping books dedicated to certain climate regions can give you a great idea about what species will survive in your area. For me, "Landscaping with Conifers and Ginkgo for the Southeast" by Cox and Ruter is an invaluable resource. For example, the book has a nice section about cultivars for Picea orientalis, a great sign that a plantation of P. orientalis (species) trees might be possible here in the South (if you had the patience).

Sometimes, though, you just have to stick stuff in the ground and learn by trial and error. We are early enough into the globalization of botany that all species have not yet been tried in all microclimates.

Ron, thanks for the book recommendation. It's now on my wishlist!

There's lots of print books on conifers, both old and recent with the 3 you have listed seeming to be kind of a random assortment - if you keep searching the web many more should present themselves.

Embothrium, are there any recommendations in particular that you have in mind?

the usual comment about any compendium.. is that it is usually out of date.. by the time it gets printed ...

that said.. they are usually great resources ... dont get me wrong ...

ken

Embo , thanks for the link ... Nice place !

his name rings a bell,,,,,my mind is going.....

ron

THE BOOK WAS COVERED IN CQ