The Botanical Art of Aljos Farjon
By special arrangement, the Gymnosperm Database is now the exclusive source of limited edition prints of the works of Aljos Farjon, the world's premier conifer taxonomist. Aljos' 11 published books on conifers have been richly illustrated with his own drawings of these trees, which have never before been offered to the public.
Aljos Farjon worked as a senior scientific officer for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he headed the temperate section of its herbarium from 1996 until his retirement in 2006. He is now an honorary research associate with Kew. A regular contributor to botanical scientific journals, Aljos has published ten books and more than 120 papers mainly but not exclusively on conifers. He is a fellow of the Linnean Society of London.
All prints offered for sale on this site are limited editions numbered as shown below and are issued with a certificate of authenticity. They are prepared as high resolution (600 dpi) scans of the original work, printed on a smooth 100% acid-free archival paper using archival inks and a Giclée printing process. Images shown on this site are low-resolution reproductions; for an example of a full-resolution scan click HERE. All prints are offered in limited editions and are signed, numbered, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. The originals were all drawn on A4 paper (210 by 297 mm) and are printed at original size; sizes listed below are approximate.
Prints on canvas or alternative papers, prints of larger (or smaller) size, and framing are available as special order items; see Ordering Information.
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A majestic and well-loved ornamental tree, native to the Black Sea region. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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This strange-looking tree forms vast forests in its native Brazil, and is a popular ornamental in Europe and the U.S. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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The most famous tree in the Bible, and widely known throughout the Classical world. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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The fabled temple tree of Japan. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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This critically endangered tree is native to a single island off the coast of Baja California. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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The most widespread conifer in the world. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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Native to the mountains of western North America, many call it the loveliest of all the larches. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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A popular ornamental, this rare tree of California and Oregon's Siskiyou Mountains is thought to be the most primitive of all the spruces. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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The dominant tree in North America's boreal forest, and the most important timber tree in Canada. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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The principal spruce of Japan is a popular ornamental tree in Europe and North America. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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A hoary old pine of the western North American high country. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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This is Aljos' version of Yosemite's famous Sentinel Dome tree, reproduced in countless photographs and paintings, now dead. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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The largest pine in the world, with some of the largest cones. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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A majestic tree of the Australian forests. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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The largest trees in the world, found only in California's Sierra Nevada. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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A close relative of the redwoods, and the largest conifer in east Asia. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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The ancient monarch of the American swamps. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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This tree of the North African deserts is also mentioned in the Bible. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
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This tree of the high Japanese mountains is also a popular ornamental in Europe and North America. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
Click for larger image
A large and ancient tree of the Japanese temperate rainforest. For detailed information, see the full species account.
Ink on paper, 21 x 30 cm, edition of 250. AVAILABLE
$60.00 unframed. Ordering information
At this time, we have not set up services for direct order via Internet. Please contact me at for inquiries or to place an order. We will also entertain special orders, including framing, alternative materials (canvas or photographic papers), and alternative sizes.
Aljos is the author of 11 books, all dealing with aspects of conifers. The following are still in print:
[Note, these link to Amazon-US bookstore. Should modify to give option of purchase from Amazon-US or Amazon-UK]
Aljos Farjon. 2010. A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Brill.
"Handbook" is a misnomer, since it consists of two very substantial volumes, but this is the culmination of a lifetime of research. These volumes feature over 40 full-page drawings by Aljos, along with many color photographs, and so are easily better illustrated than any other recent attempt to treat the conifers in toto; in fact, the only real competition was published back in the 19th Century and is hopelessly outdated from a scientific viewpoint.
Aljos Farjon. 2008. A Natural History of Conifers. Timber Press.
Informative, well-written, insightful, attractive, and affordable. If you only have one book about conifers, this should be it. If you have a hundred, this one should occupy a prominent spot on the shelf.
Aljos Farjon. 2005. World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers. Second edition. Kew Books.
Buy it! (Paperback) - from Kewbooks.com
This reference volume provides an authoritative list of all conifer taxa and synonyms.
Aljos Farjon. 2005. Pines : Drawings and Descriptions of the Genus Pinus. Second ed. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 9004139168.
Aljos Farjon. 2005. A Monograph of Cupressaceae & Sciadopitys. ISBN 1842460000
Buy it! (Hardcover) - from Kewbooks.com
Another splendid book by the world's ranking conifer taxonomist. It is thick (648 pages), heavy (3.25 kg), and expensive (about $270), but incomparable.
Aljos Farjon and B.T. Styles. 1997. Pinus (Pinaceae). Flora Neotropica Monograph 75. New York, NY: The New York Botanical Garden.
Buy it! (Hardcover)
The current state of the art for pines of Mexico and Central America. It is a particularly welcome volume because the taxonomy of these pines has been deeply puzzling to botanists for over a century; this work clears up many old mysteries. Excellent supplementary material on anatomy, pollen morphology, ethnobotany, etc. Outstanding line drawings by Rosemary Wise.
Aljos Farjon. 1991. Pinaceae : Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera : Abies, Cedrus, Pseudolarix, Keteleeria, Nothotsuga, Tsuga, Cathaya, Pseudotsuga, Larix and Picea. Lubrecht & Cramer Ltd.
Each species in the family (excepting Pinus, which gets its own book) is described in detail and accompanied by a full-page illustration.
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Edited by Christopher J. Earle
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Last Modified 2011-05-27
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