author

Hugh Vandervaes Lely

1891–1947

A British botanist and forester, he is best remembered for a practical guide to the trees of Northern Nigeria that blends close observation with a clear sense of how people used the landscape. His work still appeals to readers interested in botany, forestry, and the environmental history of West Africa.

1 Audiobook

The useful trees of northern Nigeria

The useful trees of northern Nigeria

by Hugh Vandervaes Lely

About the author

Born in 1891, Hugh Vandervaes Lely was educated at Westminster School. He went on to work in Nigeria as an assistant conservator of forests, building the firsthand knowledge that shaped his writing.

His best-known book, The Useful Trees of Northern Nigeria (1925), was written as a practical aid to identifying tree species in the savannah forests of Northern Nigeria. Rather than aiming to be a complete flora, it focused on trees of real local and economic importance, making it especially useful for readers interested in forestry, field botany, and colonial-era natural history.

Lely died in 1947. Although little biographical material about him is widely available, his name has remained in botanical records, and the plant genus Lelya was named in his honor.