TREASURED TREES

Paintings by Masumi Yamanaka illustrate the oldest trees at Kew Gardens, showing flowers, foliage and fruit throughout the year. The preface describes the artistic process from sketch to finished work. Christina Harrison’s introduction to the history of tree collecting highlights their importance, from practical applications to their beauty. Some trees featured were planted in the 18th century, with many now rare in the wild.Each tree is accompanied by the artist’s commentary on her personal experience with it and writing by Martyn Rix describing natural distribution and cultivation history, and points of interest including uses and associated wildlife.