Seeds of Discovery: Jefferson’s Botanical Expedition Request to Lewis

June 20, 1803

On this day, President Thomas Jefferson, with a flourish of his quill and ambition stretching beyond the Mississippi, sent a formal letter to his private secretary and aide, Meriwether Lewis—a correspondence that would alter the botanical landscape of our young nation forever.

Lewis, a captain in the first United States infantry with a reputation for steadfast reliability (and a tolerance for Jefferson's endless curiosities), received what appeared to be a straightforward request to lead an expedition up the Missouri River.

How deceivingly simple the initial instruction seemed!

While our dear President Jefferson neglected to explicitly mention botany in his letter—a curious omission for a man whose enthusiasm for plants bordered on obsession—the botanical undertones were as obvious as weeds in an untended garden.

Lewis, being intimately familiar with Jefferson's horticultural passions, understood the unwritten directive perfectly well.

In preparation for what would become one of the most significant botanical reconnaissance missions in American history, Lewis sought out none other than Benjamin Smith Barton, author of the first American textbook on botany.

Imagine Lewis, notebook in hand, absorbing Barton's botanical wisdom like parched soil drinks the spring rain!

Barton, recognizing both the historic opportunity and Lewis's limited botanical knowledge, provided what might generously be called a "crash course" on plant identification and preservation. This hasty education would prove instrumental as Lewis eventually collected specimens of over 200 plants previously unknown to science.

One cannot help but wonder how different our gardens might look today had Jefferson been more direct in his botanical aspirations.

The expedition ultimately revealed countless horticultural treasures—from the Lewis's Prairie Flax to the Snow-on-the-mountain—plants that now grace many of our carefully tended beds.

Jefferson's roundabout approach to botanical collection serves as a reminder to all gardeners: sometimes the most extraordinary discoveries begin with understated intentions. The seeds of knowledge, like those collected by Lewis, often grow into something far more substantial than initially envisioned.

The botanical legacy of Lewis's journey continues to bloom across American gardens today—an enduring testament to Jefferson's unwritten request and Lewis's willingness to become, however briefly, a student of botany for the sake of scientific advancement.