The Vanishing Bouquet: Ettie Alexander’s Wildflower Legacy

On This Day
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:

Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode.

May 15, 2024

On this day, dear gardening enthusiasts, we find ourselves transported back to the year 1898, when the San Francisco Call featured an article of utmost intrigue titled "The Prettiest Wild Flowers" by one Ettie C. Alexander.

Oh, what a treasure trove of horticultural history this piece has revealed to us!

Imagine, if you will, the San Francisco of yesteryear, where wildflowers bloomed in such abundance that one could scarcely take a step without crushing a petal underfoot.

Ms. Alexander, a lady of discerning taste and botanical prowess, shared her magnificent experiences collecting these floral gems around the city before the turn of the century.

Alas, even in those halcyon days, the march of progress was taking its toll on nature's delicate beauty. Over the span of a mere decade, our intrepid collector had noticed a remarkable decline in both the quantity and quality of wildflowers in the area.

Her lament for the California Cream Cups - those delightful annual herbs of the poppy family found primarily in our fair state - is particularly poignant.

Nine years ago, cream cups grew in great profusion all around San Francisco.

The most beautiful ones that I have ever seen were near Holy Cross Cemetery.

I have picked dozens of them in former years as large as a dollar.

But now you can scarcely find a plant, and the blossoms are small and of an inferior quality.

A great many other varieties of flowers that once were plentiful have disappeared entirely.

One can almost feel the wistfulness in her words, can one not?

It serves as a stark reminder of our duty as stewards of the earth, to preserve and protect these botanical treasures for future generations.

Now, dear readers, prepare to be enthralled by the ingenuity of our Ms. Alexander!

It was said that her wildflower collection was the finest in all of California - a claim that surely piqued the interest of many a botanical enthusiast.

But her true stroke of genius lay in her collaboration with a chemist, with whom she refined a process - a preservative, if you will - that would help the wildflowers retain their fresh-picked, original color.

Imagine the joy of having a bouquet that never fades!

Alexander's process worked remarkably well, yet sadly, she never disclosed her formula to the public.

One can only wonder at the secrets she took to her grave.

Perhaps there are jars of perfectly preserved wildflowers still hidden away in some forgotten attic, waiting to be rediscovered!

Two delightful morsels of information about Alexander are worth savoring:

Firstly, despite her best efforts, she was never able to find a process to preserve the brilliant color of the poppy for more than two years.

Ah, the elusive California poppy, as fleeting in preservation as it is stunning in bloom!

Secondly, in all of her works, she's known simply as E.C. Alexander.

It required a great deal of sleuthing to uncover that her first name was Ettie. Unfortunately, there's next to nothing written about her.

It seems, for now, the rest of her story is lost to the ages, much like the wildflowers she so lovingly collected.

As we tend to our gardens today, let us take a moment to appreciate the wild beauty that surrounds us.

Perhaps we might even venture out to seek the California Cream Cups, now a rare sight indeed. And who knows?

With a bit of patience and a keen eye, we might just stumble upon a patch as magnificent as those Ms. Alexander once beheld.

Until next time, my fellow gardeners, may your beds be ever blooming and your secateurs ever sharp!

The California Poppy
The California Poppy

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