Valentine’s Romance in the Wilds: Mincy Moffett Jr. & the Michaux Sumac
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
February 14, 2010
Dearest Gardeners,
On this day, botanist Mincy Moffett Jr. of Georgia staged a Valentine’s Day matchmaking event quite different from the usual chocolate-and-roses affair.
His plan: to orchestrate romance between the rare Michaux Sumac (Rhus michauxii), a federally endangered species known for its curious separation of the sexes and its dwindling populations.
In 2010, Georgia’s Michaux Sumac was found in just two places—one occupied only by five lonely males, the other a distant haven for females. These populations were separated by seventy miles of wilderness, a botanical Romeo and Juliet fated to reproduce only asexually, with diminishing genetic diversity.
Enter Dr. Moffett and a cadre of conservationists, who planted female shrubs at the all-male site on the Lower Broad River Wildlife Management Area, hoping to spark sexual reproduction (and a little floral intrigue).
“Let’s hope it turns into a torrid romance,” Moffett quipped to reporters, echoing Lady Whistledown’s delight in nature’s matchmaking. Public awareness soared, and as the years have passed, the united Michaux Sumac population has grown and thrived, a testament to scientific creativity and a dash of romantic optimism.
The Michaux Sumac, a low shrub just 1–3 feet tall with emerald leaves and reddish stems, remains at risk. But thanks to Mincy’s Valentine’s Day experiment, these formerly isolated plants now exchange pollen and hope—reminding us all that sometimes saving a species means giving nature a little nudge toward love.
So, dear readers, let every Valentine’s Day remind you of botanic matchmakers who labor behind the scenes, ensuring both romance—and rare beauty—can endure in the wild.
Yours, ever cheering on the passionate pollinators,
Jennifer
