Robert More and the Delicate Moraea: A Rare Jewel of the Iris Family

Milla biflora, commonly known as Mexican Star.

The Morea January 5, 1780 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English academic, attorney, politician, and gardener, who sat in the House of Commons, Robert More. A passionate amateur botanist, the botanist Philip Miller, named the plant genus Morea (“Mor-AY-ah”) in honor of Robert More. But later, Carl Linnaeus altered the spelling…

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Blooms and Bedlam: The 1916 Chrysanthemum Spectacle

Yellow Chrysanthemums

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 13, 1916 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we find ourselves transported to the halls of Washington D.C., where the 16th annual chrysanthemum flower show had just unfurled its petals to the…

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