Pinetum Britannicum Series: Cupressus lambertiana

This beautiful portrait of Cupressus lambertiana, commonly known as the Monterey cypress, is from The Pinetum Britannicum (1884), a massive 3-volume work by Edward Ravenscroft (1816-1890), which describes hardy coniferous trees from around the world that were cultivated in British gardens in the 19th century, when exotic conifers were all the rage. It is filled with William Richardson’s exquisite hand-colored lithographs of individual trees growing in their native habitat or in important British gardens. The Pinetum Britannicum is considered one of the greatest works on conifers ever published, and both Napoleon III and Queen Victoria were among its subscribers.

Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1761-1842), one of the leading botanists of his day, collected seeds of this cypress native to the northern coast of California and sent them to the Horticultural Society in England. With its broadly spreading branches and evergreen foliage, the tree (now named Cupressus macrocarpa) is prized by gardeners everywhere.

This pigment print on Arches Infinity Textured 230 g/m stock faithfully reproduces the colors of the original. The print is in a limited edition of 300 and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Unframed.

From the Rare Book Collections of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at The New York Botanical Garden.

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