Gentle Julia: The Adventurous Life of Julia Wilmotte Henshaw

November 19, 1937

On this day, Julia Wilmotte [will-MOT] Henshaw, Canadian botanist, geographer, writer, and political activist, died.

Her remarkable life reads like an adventure novel - from mapping Vancouver Island's interior to becoming the first person to drive across the Rocky Mountains, from serving as a heroic ambulance driver in World War I to establishing herself as one of British Columbia's leading botanists.

Born in Durham, England, in 1869, Julia's path to botanical fame wasn't straightforward. After studying in France and Germany, she made her way to Canada around 1890, where she would eventually find her true calling among the wildflowers of the Canadian Rockies.

Julia's weekly column "The Note Book" in the Vancouver Sun (where colleagues affectionately called her "Gentle Julia") gives us a wonderful glimpse into her observant and passionate nature. Just days before her death, she wrote with characteristic enthusiasm about wild mushrooms:

We have become so used to the 'tame' mushrooms, grown in sheds and carefully reared for year-round sale, that October and November fail to any longer bring in their wake the old thrill of gathering wild mushrooms, the flavor of which so far surpasses that of the home-grown varieties.

Her attention to detail and love of garden surprises shines through in her November 28, 1934 column:

A friend who walked through my garden yesterday... abraided me for omitting to say that the following flowers were also to be gathered: White California Poppy, Pink and Blue Larkspur, large White Heath, Fuchsia, Thyme, Lobelia, and Nasturtiums... Taken altogether, the garden is making a brave showing when one remembers that today is November 28.

While her 1906 publication of "Mountain Flowers of America" created some controversy with her mentors, the Schaefers, it established her as a serious botanical voice. She went on to publish two more volumes on Canadian wildflowers, cementing her legacy in botanical literature.

But perhaps most remarkable was her wartime service. As a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, she drove ambulances under fire, earning the Croix de Guerre with a Gold Star for,

evacuating and recuperating inhabitants under shell fire and aerial bombarding with a devotion and courage worthy of the highest praise.

Julia's environmental advocacy remained strong until the end. In her later columns, she championed forest conservation, particularly fighting against the excessive harvest of young Douglas firs for Christmas trees. Her words still resonate:

Surely, this is a matter which should be promptly and peremptorily stopped.

Julia passed away from heart trouble, leaving behind a legacy that spans botany, literature, geography, and public service. As a founding member of the Canadian Alpine Club and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, she exemplified the spirit of exploration and scientific pursuit that characterized her era.