Posts Tagged ‘botanical mentorship’
E. Lucy Braun: Trailblazing Botanist and Ecologist of Eastern US Forests
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 19, 1889 Dearest reader, On this day, the world gained a force of nature in the form of Emma Lucy Braun — though she would insist you call her simply Lucy. How…
Read MoreElsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen: South Africa’s Legendary Botanical Collector
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 11, 1912 Dearest reader, On this day, in the bright dawn of 1912, in South Africa’s vast and rugged land, Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen was born. The mountains that would later cradle her…
Read MoreA Trailblazer in Botany: Marie Clark Taylor, First Woman Ph.D. from Fordham
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. February 16, 1911 Dearest reader, On this day, Marie Clark Taylor, a remarkable American botanist and educator was born. Her life was a testament to perseverance, passion, and profound influence. In 1941, she…
Read MoreEllsworth Jerome Hill: Tenacious Botanist and Master of Field Exploration
Crawling to Canes January 22, 1917 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Presbyterian minister, writer, and American botanist Ellsworth Jerome Hill. Ellsworth was born in Leroy, New York. When Ellsworth was only 20 years old, one of his knees stopped working, and a doctor suggested he study botany. So, Ellsworth would crawl…
Read MoreErwin Frink Smith: Father of Phytobacteriology and Advocate for Women in Botany
Peach Yellows January 21, 1854 Today is the birthday of the Washington DC-based USDA botanist Erwin Frink Smith. Erwin had attempted to solve the problem of the peach yellows – a disease caused by a microorganism called a phytoplasma, and it was affecting Peach Orchards. It was called the Peach Yellows disease because the main…
Read MorePreparing for Sumatra: John Lindley in London
While researching John Lindley, I stumbled upon an adorable story about him. John arrived in England when he was a teenager. Naturally, he needed a place to stay, so Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker graciously took him in and gave him a room at his home called Halesworth. The story goes that, over a few weeks,…
Read MoreKate Brandegee: California’s Trailblazing Woman Botanist
Exploring Life The great woman botanist and Californian Kate Brandegee wrote her husband, Townshend, who she lovingly called Townie. On this day in 1908, Kate was 64, and though she and Townie often botanized together, Kate was not afraid to go explore alone. She let Townie know in this letter that: ” I am going…
Read MoreKate Brandegee: Pioneer Botanist, Mentor, and Guardian of California’s Flora
A Passion for Botany Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Kate Brandegee. Kate was the third woman to enroll at Berkely’s medical school and the second woman to be professionally employed as a botanist in the US. After getting her MD at Berkley, she found starting a practice too daunting. Thankfully,…
Read MoreCharles Darwin and His Mentor John Stevens Henslow: The Cambridge Connection
Origin of Species Today is the birthday of the English naturalist and writer Charles Robert Darwin. Darwin was born into a large Christian family in Victorian England. His dad was wealthy; he was a doctor and an investor. For generations, Darwin’s family were staunch abolitionists. Darwin’s mother died when he was just eight years old.…
Read MoreEdgar Anderson, Sunflowers, and the Lessons of a Mentor
The Gift of Good Students The botanist Edgar Anderson wrote to his student Charles B Heiser Jr: “Oh stamp collecting, when will taxonomists ever take any interest in being biologists? Once, when I traveled with E.J. Palmer, I went to a good deal of trouble to get a whole sheet of lily pods, and he…
Read MoreWillis Linn Jepson: Profound Scholar and Indefatigable Botanical Explorer
The Botany Man Today is the anniversary of the death of The Botany Man Willis Linn Jepson, who died on this day in 1946. Carved on his tombstone are the following words: “Profound Scholar, Inspiring Teacher, Indefatigable Botanical Explorer, … In the ordered beauty of nature, he found enduring communion.” When Jepson was 25, he…
Read MoreKatherine Brandagee: Trailblazing Botanist and Mentor of California Flora
The Second Female Botanist Today is the 175th birthday of the botanist Katherine Brandagee who was born on this day in 1844. Brandagee was the third woman to enroll at Berkeley’s medical school and the second woman to be professionally employed as a botanist in the US. While getting her MD at Berkeley, Kate had…
Read MoreFrançois-André Michaux: French Botanist and American Tree Explorer
A Father and Son Duo Today is the anniversary of the death of François-André Michaux, who died on this day in 1855. François-Andre was the son of the botanist, Andrea Michaux. His father named an oak in his honor. When François-Andre was 15 years old, he and his dad set sail for North America. The…
Read MoreHardy Bryan Croom: The Botanist Who Discovered Florida’s Ancient Torreya
Gopher Wood Today is the birthday of the Florida botanist Hardy Bryan Croom who was born on this day in 1797. Croom was trained as a lawyer, but since his inheritance from his father was substantial, he never practiced. As Croom matured, he began pursuing specialties like geology, mineralogy, and botany. When it came to…
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