17 Yokohama Nursery Catalogue- Beautiful Vintage Botanical Prints

Discover the Yokohama Nursery Co.’s historic catalogues, showcasing Japan’s exquisite plant life through detailed, colourful vintage botanical illustrations.

The vintage botanical prints in this collection are from various editions of the Yokohama Nursery Co. annual plant catalogue. These catalogues are from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Yokohama Nursery Co. was esteemed for its extensive collection of Japanese plants, including ornamental trees, vibrant flowers, and the revered bonsai, which they distributed globally.

The Yokohama Nursery Catalogue

These garden catalogues were not mere commercial listings but were crafted carefully, serving as a visual delight and an educational resource. The catalogues feature exquisite plant illustrations, offering insights into Japan’s rich botanical diversity. Now, these illustrations are available in the public domain, allowing us to access, download, and print them.

The Yokohama Nursery catalogues fit beautifully with Pictureboxblue’s vintage botanical collection, including vintage garden catalogue rose illustrations, many Japanese prints of florals like irises, and Kono Bairei’s birds and flowers.

The Yokohama Nursery, founded in 1890 by Uhei Suzuki and colleagues in Yokohama, quickly became a leader in Japan’s modern horticulture scene. Opening a San Francisco office that year, they introduced bonsai at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, showcasing many maples and irises in America’s first Japanese garden.

The Nursery printed luxurious catalogues featuring woodblock prints of plants, essential cultural information, and various gardening products. These catalogues, evolving to include multiple illustrations, became a crucial part of their identity until the mid-1920s, reflecting their commitment to quality and the introduction of Japanese gardening aesthetics to the West.

These vintage botanical prints are perfect for wall decor, garden inspiration, or as a reference for crafters and artists. Enjoy these stunning floral paintings and illustrations from the Yokohama Nursery catalogue.

How To Download The Botanical Prints

Click on the title above the image you want to download. A higher-resolution picture will appear in a new window. You can then download and print that illustration.

Colourful Catalogue Prints 1-6

Print 1: Various Iris Flowers

In Japanese culture, the iris holds deep significance, symbolizing courage and good fortune. The flower is celebrated during the Tango no Sekku festival, Boys’ Day, where iris leaves are used in traditional baths to ward off evil spirits and promote health and strength.

The iris’s elegant shape and vibrant colours also inspire many Japanese artworks and garden designs, embodying the beauty and spiritual depth of Japanese aesthetics.

Print 2: Various Maple Leaves

Maple leaves, or “Momiji,” have a profound significance in Japanese culture, symbolizing life’s beauty and ephemeral nature. They are especially celebrated in the autumn when the Japanese tradition of “Momijigari” viewing of autumn foliage. This brings people together to admire the stunning display of red, orange, and yellow leaves.

Print 3: Cherry Blossom

“The Japanese Cherry, remarkable for its softness and exuberance of its flower, blooming in the warm, pleasant spring days of April as contrasted with the severe simplicity of P. Mume of the snow-clad landscape. The Cherry is fine for avenue planting with profuse flowers and deciduous leaves. More than 20 double and single varieties are known; those mentioned below are some of the choicest sorts.“

The site has a collection of vintage cherry blossom illustrations and even a tutorial on how to draw cherry blossoms.

Print 4: Lotus Flowers

This print of lotus flowers in a pond is the back cover of one of the Yokohama Nursery catalogues.

Print 5: Lily Flowers

Various varieties of lily flowers. Find more vintage lily illustrations here.

Print 6: Blue Iris

Colourful Catalogue Prints 7-12

Print 7: Flowering Cherry

Three varieties of cherry blossom.

Print 8: Japanese Porcelain Flower Pots

A collection of Japanese porcelain flower pots from the Yokohama garden catalogue.

Print 9: Japanese Rose

Print 10: Magnolia Flowers

In Japanese culture, magnolia flowers hold a serene and dignified place, symbolizing purity, nobility, and perseverance. These elegant blooms are often found in temple gardens and are revered for their subtle beauty and graceful presence.

You’ll find more magnolia prints here.

Print 11: Herbaceous Peonies

Print 12: Anemonopsis Macrophylla

Anemonopsis macrophylla, also known as the false anemone, is a cherished plant in Japan, native to its cool, mountainous regions. It’s celebrated in Japanese gardens for its elegant, pale lavender to creamy white flowers that bloom in late summer.

This plant embodies the tranquility and grace of Japanese garden design, thriving in shaded areas to bring serene beauty and a sense of harmony to garden spaces.

Black & White Garden Catalogue Illustrations 13-17

Print 13 Tree Peony

Here you’ll find a collection of vintage peony paintings.

Print 14: Rhapis Humilis

Rhapis Humilis also known as the “slender lady palm” is a good houseplant, growing well in containers and low light conditions. This easy to grow plant is native to China. 

Find more palm tree prints here.

Print 15: Various Bonsai

Print 16: Chrysanthemum

“Golden Pheasant” yellow Chrysanthemum drawing. You’ll find more chrysanthemum botanical illustrations here.

Print 17: Japanese Camellia

The Japanese camellia, or Camellia japonica, is a beloved flower in Japan, symbolizing love, admiration, and perfection. Its glossy, evergreen leaves and stunning, rosette-like blooms in shades of red, pink, and white make it a centerpiece in many Japanese gardens. Revered for its winter blooms, the camellia adds vibrant color and life to the colder months.

Other Related Prints

If you are interested in vintage garden catalogues, you’ll enjoy this site’s collection of vintage seed packets.

The site has an extensive collection of vintage flower illustrations. If you like to craft with them, check out these Botanical craft ideas.

You’ll find all the other Vintage Japanese Themed prints here.

If you fancy, you can Buy Me A Coffee Here.