conifer

Conifers are the perfect choice for ground covers, shrubs, or trees in almost any garden. Evergreen and always architecturally interesting, they’re also drought, pest-, and disease-resistant, and rarely have any demanding cultivation needs. This guide is the perfect companion for anyone who needs a portable guide to conifer choices.

This definitive work provides up-to-date descriptions of all the true conifers of the world. It is the first comprehensive update of conifer taxonomy in nearly a century. Noted conifer taxonomist James E. Eckenwalder discusses the relationships, practical usages, champion trees, fossil occurrences, and biology. New identification guides for the families and genera are based on foliage features and are easier to use than traditional conifer keys. Eckenwalder shares the reasoning behind his taxonomic decisions, many of which are unique to this book, reflecting a comprehensive re-evaluation of conifer classification. He also outlines the features sought in cultivars of each genus, particular cultivation concerns, and conifers recommended for cultivation under various conditions and to achieve different effects. With its unprecedented attention to detail and extensive bibliography, this major work is an essential reference for botanists, naturalists, and horticulturists.

First published in 1990, this second edition of Bibliography of conifers has been greatly expanded from 2,130 to 3,787 references to published literature. To make it more accessible, many more general titles have been added – including coverage of Araucariaceae, Cupressaceae and Pinaceae and subjects related to their taxonomy. A new index to taxon names, referenced to the bibliography, greatly facilitates finding literature related to specific taxa.

A new revised edition. This primitive plant was discovered only 100 km from Sydney in 1994 and was called ‘The botanical find of the century’. This living fossil was believed to have become extinct millions of years ago.