Throughout our history trees have been central to our existence. They provide us with vital ingredients for life—food, medicine, materials, even the oxygen we breathe. Ecologically, they are crucial in controlling pollution and moderating the climate, and culturally they are important to our religions, folklore and art. It has also been shown that as well as greening our lives they can improve our health and mental well-being. Remarkable Trees tells the unique story of more than sixty species, each selected for its resonance and connection with people. In portraits that combine vivid cultural and historical narrative with a firm scientific grounding, Christina Harrison and Tony Kirkham reveal fascinating details of trees from the world’s major environmental zones and habitats. Some are obvious superstars such as oaks, redwoods and coconut, while others are more surprising: we learn of the monkey puzzle, a tree native to Chile that “can grow for 1,000 years,” and of the manchineel, a tree that contains sap so toxic to human skin that it’s a risk to stand beneath it on a rainy day. In these pages are trees that are healers and killers, trees that serve as foundations of great buildings and grand feasts, and trees that leave us with a sense of wonder and of worry for their survival. In a tribute to the artists and botanists who have been inspired by trees for centuries, this book is filled with 240 delightful illustrations. The varied and beautiful images come from the unrivalled archive at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and they bring this enlightening and enchanting volume to life. While trees have supported us for millennia, we have recently lost that direct, deep connection with them. Harrison and Kirkham remind us that we do not have to look far to reestablish that relationship and that we can still cherish the splendor and significance of these quiet giants.

Remarkable Trees

Science & Math

Kirkham, Tony

Harrison, Christina

Biological Sciences

University of Chicago Press

Remarkable Trees (Hadback) /anglais

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Gardening & Landscape Design

Thames&Hudson

Kew's Big Trees

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is home to some of the most magnificent trees in the world. From pines to palms to plum yews, they are an awe-inspiring, majestic presence in the gardens. Many are decades and even centuries old, including the iconic “Old Lions,” trees that have stood since the Revolutionary War.Royal Heritage Trees is a fitting tribute to Kew’s signature trees and a celebration of their beauty. Japanese artist Masumi Yamanaka illustrates the oldest and finest trees growing at the gardens with forty paintings created exclusively for this collection. Her paintings capture both whole trees and fine details and show the trees’ foliage and flowers at different stages throughout the year. Martyn Rix’s lively descriptions outline the natural distribution and cultivation history of the plants, while Yamanaka provides engaging commentary on the process of painting each tree and capturing the garden’s beauty. Christina Harrison provides an introductory chapter on the history of tree collecting, from the appearance of trees in the botanic gardens of sixteenth-century Europe to the world’s passion for plant hunting over the next few centuries, which established trees as integral to garden design and landscaping. She also highlights the importance of trees today, from their practical applications to the sheer wonder of their beauty. This book is an ideal gift for all those lovers of trees and botanical art and a beautiful reminder of our long-standing adoration of these leafy giants.

Treasured Trees

Arts & Photography

Rix, Martyn

Yamanaka, Masumi

History & Criticism

The world of trees is as immensely diverse as our uses for them, but there is one undeniable truth—they are forever linked to our survival. As deforestation continues throughout in the world, spaces like the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, take on a deeper meaning. Not only do they provide a refuge for some fast-disappearing species, they also serve as a reminder to that we should appreciate these emerald cathedrals. Kew has more than 14,000 trees in its 132 hectares: a unique mix of the rare, ancient, useful, and beautiful. In Kew’s Big Trees you can discover how one of the world’s best tree collections came to be, learn the stories behind twenty of its most intriguing trees, and be reminded as to why trees are so vitally important to us all.

Kew’s Big Trees

Christina

Nature & Ecology

Sir Joseph Banks was a true botanical adventurer and pioneer. Not only did he reveal the floral wonders of the South Seas, New Zealand and Australia to European eyes, but he set Kew Gardens on its path to becoming the world's foremost botanic garden, bringing in a wealth of rare and useful plants, which had far-reaching impact. Banks was uniquely privileged and no-one before or since has had such influence in the sphere of botany. He helped to raise botanical science to new heights and brought many new beautiful plants to Britain, which we now take for granted in our gardens.Here, his life in botany is told through some of the intriguing objects, books and plants from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - the place he held dear until his death in 1820.

The Botanical Adventures of Joseph Banks

Biographies & Memoirs

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Books by Harrison, Christina