female botanists Archives

Katherine Sophia Kane: Trailblazing Irish Botanist and Author of The Irish Flora

Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia), a small, evergreen shrub with pink, bell-shaped flowers.

Irish Flowers and Ferns February 25, 1856 Today is the anniversary of the Irish botanist and horticulturist Katherine Sophia Kane. Orphaned as a little girl, Katherine was taken in by her father’s older brother – her uncle – Matthias O’Kelly, and she grew up alongside her cousins. A naturalist, Uncle Matthias fostered Kate’s love for…

Marion Delf-Smith: Botanical Trailblazer and Champion of Women’s Botany

Marion Delf-Smith, a British botanist and pioneer in botanical education.

Westfield: A Place for Women’s Botany February 23, 1980 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British botanist and botanical pioneer Marion Delf-Smith. A botanical trailblazer, Marion started the botany program at London’s Westfield (a women’s college preparatory school) in 1906. To make the program a reality, Marion fundraised relentlessly, and then she…

Marie-Anne Libert: Belgian Botanist, Mycologist, and Pioneer Plant Pathologist

Marie-Anne Libert (1782-1865), a notable Belgian botanist and mycologist. Her contributions to mycology were significant, including the identification of the fungus responsible for potato blight.

One of the First Female Plant Pathologists January 14, 1865 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Belgian botanist, mycologist, and one of the first women plant pathologists, Marie-Anne Libert. Born in 1782, Marie-Anne was the twelfth of thirteen children in her middle-class family. Her parents immediately recognized her intellect, and they sent…

Jeanne Baret: the first woman circumnavigator and botanical trailblazer

Bougainvillea Today is the birthday of the explorer and botanist Jeanne Baret. Jeanne was the first woman to have circumnavigated the globe as part of the expedition, which was led by Louis Antoine de Bougainville. Beret was able to join the expedition after posing as a valet to the expedition’s naturalist: Philibert Commerçon. Before the…

Maria Sibylla Merian: The Botanical and Entomological Illustration Legend

Bougainvillea Today is the birthday of the explorer and botanist Jeanne Baret. Jeanne was the first woman to have circumnavigated the globe as part of the expedition, which was led by Louis Antoine de Bougainville. Beret was able to join the expedition after posing as a valet to the expedition’s naturalist: Philibert Commerçon. Before the…

A Sister of Science: How Lucy Braun Charted Her Own Path Through American 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 On this day, the botanical world welcomed one of its most formidable daughters – Emma Lucy Braun, though she insisted upon “Lucy” with the same determination she later applied to…

Briars, Rattlesnakes, and Legacy: The Extraordinary Life of Mary Gibson Henry

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 16, 1967 On this day, we mark the passing of botanist Mary Gibson Henry, a woman whose passion for plants led her through briar patches, rattlesnake-infested swamps, and ultimately to her final…

Jumping Through Windows: The Extraordinary Life of South Africa’s Great Plant Collector Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen

Colorized photo of Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen with one of her namesake flowers in the background

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 On this day, the botanical world received a gift it scarcely deserved—the birth of Elsie Elizabeth Esterhuysen, a South African treasure who would go on to become what modest society…