February 3, 2021 Jellicoe’s Shute House Masterpiece, Carl Ludwig Blume, the Huckleberry, White Snakeroot, Both by Douglas Crase, and Celebrating Sidney Lanier
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Botanical History On This Day
1862 Death of Carl Ludwig Blume, the German-Dutch botanist renowned for his work in the Dutch East Indies, particularly in Java, where he directed the Botanic Garden. Blume established the orchid genus Dendrobium and discovered the Phalaenopsis amabilis, the Moth Orchid, famously mistaking its swaying flowers for moths. He also studied coleus, a member of the Mint family, and contributed to botanical science with over 200 species named in his honor.
1941 Celebrated for its remarkable age and size, the Box Huckleberry (Gaylussacia brachycera), found in Pennsylvania’s Tuscarora Forest, was highlighted in The Daily Republican. Estimated to be about 12,000 years old, this enormous colony remains a rare natural marvel. Unlike blueberries, huckleberries feature ten seeds per berry, grow in acidic forest soils, and are still harvested wild due to cultivation difficulties.
Unearthed Words
In today’s excerpt from Wicked Plants, Amy Stewart recounts the tragic impact of White Snakeroot, responsible for milk sickness that claimed the life of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s mother. The toxin passed through cow’s milk led to death and hardship in early American settlements, illustrating the deep intertwining of botany and human history.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read my review of Both by Douglas Crase. This 2004 biography examines the lives of botanists Dwight Ripley and Rupert Barneby, intertwined by friendship, artistry, and botanical passion. Their journeys and collaborations enriched botany and American art, as captured through exquisite prose, poetry, and illustrations that gardeners and art lovers alike will appreciate.
Buy the book on Amazon: Both by Douglas Crase
Today's Botanic Spark
1842 Celebrate the birthday of Sidney Lanier, American poet and musician inspired by nature’s beauty and spirituality. His works blend music, a love of nature, and the pathos of human experience, with poems like "A Ballad of Trees" and "The Master," inspired by the Garden of Gethsemane. Visit Sidney’s Macon, Georgia, cottage and herb garden, or explore the community garden inspired by his legacy.
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