April Archives

Zina Pitcher

The Pitcher’s Thistle April 12, 1872 Today is the anniversary of the death of the American doctor, University of Michigan regent, and amateur botanist Zina Pitcher – who was profiled last week on his birthday, April 5th. In his spare time, Zina enjoyed botanizing, and he’s remembered for the thistle he discovered, commonly known as…

Phoebe Lankester

Penelope the British Botanist April 9, 1900 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British botanist, author, pragmatist, and survivor, Phoebe Lankester. Phoebe’s birthday is tomorrow. Born in 1825 as Phoebe Pope, she married the naturalist Edwin Lankester- who was a coroner and medical reformer. Together, they had eleven children. When Phoebe was 49,…

Joseph Trimble Rothrock

A Call to the Great Outdoors April 9, 1839 Today is the birthday of the American environmentalist and botanist Joseph Trimble Rothrock. Plagued by sickness as a child, Joseph felt called by the great outdoors, “I just had to go to the woods. Throughout my entire life, I have sought the out of doors as…

Mary Pickford

America’s Sweetheart April 8, 1892 Today is the birthday of America’s sweetheart, Hollywood legend, and lover of trees, Mary Pickford, born Gladys Marie Smith. Jump on Twitter, search for “Mary Pickford Tree,” and you’ll see images of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford planting a tree at their PickFair estate. #ArborDay Mary Pickford was the first…

John Claudius Loudon

The Suburban Gardener April 8, 1783 Today is the birthday of the Scottish author, garden designer, and botanist John Claudius Loudon. A massively popular and breathtakingly prolific writer on horticulture, John focused on serving the expanding middle class’s needs who wanted to have smaller gardens. 1838, Loudon wrote a book called The Suburban Gardener and…

David Fairchild

The Food Explorer April 7, 1869 Today is the birthday of the globetrotting botanist and food spy David Fairchild. In terms of plant exploration, David hit it out of the botanical park. He was single-handedly responsible for the introduction of more than 200,000 plants to the United States, including pistachios, mangoes, dates, nectarines, soybeans, and…

Michel Adanson

The Methodology of Flowering Plants April 7, 1727 Today is the birthday of the 18th-century Scottish-French botanist and naturalist Michel Adanson. Michel created the first natural classification of flowering plants. In fact, the great botanist Jussieu (“Juice You”) adopted Michel’s methodology to create his masterpiece called Genera Plantarum (1789). Although today we think mainly of Darwin and…

California Poppy

Poppy Day April 6, 2010 Every year since 2010, April 6 is California Poppy Day celebrating the California State Flower. Back in 1903, the botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon created legislation to make the golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) the state flower of California. The botanical name Eschscholzia comes from a last name. In 1817, a Russian…

Johann Zinn

The Cinderella Flower April 6, 1759 Today is the anniversary of the death of Johann Zinn, who died young at the age of 32. Johann accomplished much in his short life, and he focused on two seemingly disconnected areas of science: human anatomy and botany. From an anatomy standpoint, Johann focused on the eye. He…

Zina Pitcher

Zina Pitcher Place April 5, 1872 Today is the anniversary of the death of the American doctor, educator, and amateur botanist Zina Pitcher. Zina managed to pack a lot of living and incredible relationships into his 75-year life. Known for his tireless work ethic, Zina established the Detroit public school system. He taught at West…

Matthias Jakob Schleiden

The Co-founder of Cell Theory April 5, 1804 Today is the birthday of the German botanist and early evolutionist Matthias Jakob Schleiden. Along with Theodor Schwann, Matthias was also the co-founder of the cell theory. Matthias was the first person to recognize the importance of cells in plants. Later, he speculated on the role of…

Celebrating National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day

“Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is a very satisfying dessert that pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee.” April 20, 2020 Today is National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake became popular in America after 1903. The cakes were traditionally made in cast iron skillets. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is a very satisfying dessert that…

Charles Plumier

God’s Tears Today is the birthday of the French priest and botanist Charles Plumier. He was born in Marseille. Regarded as one of the most important botanical explorers of his time, Plumier served as a botanist to King Louis XIV of France, and he traveled many times to the New World documenting many plant and…

Agnes Block

First Pineapple in Europe Today is the anniversary of the death of the inspiring female Dutch collector, paper artist, illustrator, and horticulturist, Agnes Block. A Dutch Mennonite, Agnes first married a silk merchant named Hans de Wollf. His income made it possible for Agnes to pursue her many passions. The Dutch poet Joost van den…