Posts Tagged ‘Harvard University’
Asa Gray: The Birth of American Botany’s Greatest Voice
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 18, 1810 On this day, Asa Gray (1810-1888) was born. He was a figure who would become America’s preeminent botanist and one of the most influential scientists of the 19th century. Born…
Read MoreBlooms Across the Pacific: Ernest H. Wilson’s Azalea Diplomacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 24, 1919 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, a horticultural treasure trove arrived at the hallowed grounds of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Ernest H. Wilson, that intrepid plant explorer and…
Read MoreUnmoved by Mountains: The Enigmatic Life of Charles Sprague Sargent
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 24, 1841 On this day, the horticultural world was graced with the birth of Charles Sprague Sargent, a man destined to become one of America’s most distinguished botanists. Charles, a figure as…
Read MoreHesperochiron and Beyond: Sereno Watson’s Botanical Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. December 1, 1826 On this day in botanical history, the world welcomed Sereno Watson, a luminary whose passion for plants would forever change the landscape of American botany. Born into a world yet…
Read MoreFrom Harvard to Herbarium: The Blooming Legacy of Asa Gray
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 18, 1810 On this day, the botanical world welcomed a true titan of the field – Asa Gray, whose birth heralded a new era in the study of plant life and the…
Read MoreA visionary of green spaces: Charles Eliot and the birth of American landscape conservation
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 1, 1859 Dearest reader, On this day, we mark the birth of a visionary in the realm of landscape architecture, Charles Eliot, whose brief yet luminous career changed the very fabric of…
Read MoreJames Arnold: The Benefactor Behind America’s First Arboretum
The Arnold Arboretum December 3, 1868 Today is the anniversary of the death of the wealthy businessman, philanthropist, and botanist James Arnold. James is the namesake for Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum – the very first arboretum in the United States. James was born to a Quaker family in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1807, James married Sarah…
Read MoreDenys Zirngiebel: The Pansy King of Needham
The Pansy King November 16, 1964 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Swiss-born naturalist, florist, and plant breeder Denys Zirngiebel. After marrying his wife Henrietta, the Denys immigrated to America. Once he established a home in Needham, Massachusetts, Denys sent for his wife and little boy. Denys and Henrietta had four…
Read MoreCharles Eliot: Boston’s Emerging Landscape Architect and Arboretum Visionary
A Boston Son November 1, 1859 Today is the birthday of the Boston Landscape Architect Charles Eliot. Charles was the son of a prominent Boston family. In 1869, the year his mother died, his father Charles Sr. became the president of Harvard University. In 1882 Charles graduated from Harvard with a degree in botany. A…
Read MoreBenjamin Lincoln Robinson: Reviving Harvard’s Gray Herbarium and Launching Rhodora
Harvard Botanist Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Benjamin Lincoln Robinson. In 1892, Benjamin was appointed the curator of the Asa Gray Herbarium at Harvard. When Benjamin took over, both the herbarium and the library were in dire straits. Benjamin brought in funding and expanded the herbarium. Today, the Gray Herbarium…
Read MoreCharles Eliot: The Visionary Landscape Architect Who Shaped New England’s Natural Beauty
The Boston Botanist Today is the birthday of Charles Eliot, who was born on this day in 1859. Eliot was the son of a prominent Boston family. In 1869, the year his mother died, his father Charles William Eliot became the president of Harvard University. In 1882 Charles went to Harvard to study botany. A…
Read MoreThe Arnold Arboretum Begins to Flourish: Charles Sprague Sargent’s 1883 Update
Arnold Arboretum On this day in 1883, Charles Sprague Sargent wrote to Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker with an update on the Arnold Arboretum: “The Arboretum is getting on at last. ..Roads, belts, grades, etc. are making grand progress & I really begin to see daylight ahead. We have in the nurseries an immense stock of…
Read MoreDaniel Cady Eaton: America’s First Fern Expert and Botanical Romantic
America’s First Pteridologist Today is the birthday of America’s first pteridologist, Daniel Cady Eaton, who was born on this day in 1834. A pteridologist is a person who studies ferns. The botanist Charles Frost told a charming story about how Eaton had fallen in love with ferns after going on a walk with his fiancé.…
Read MoreJames Arnold: The Quaker Benefactor Behind Harvard’s First Arboretum
The Arnold Arboretum Today is the birthday of James Arnold, who was born on this day in 1781 and who was the namesake for Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. The Arnold Arboretum was the very first arboretum in the United States. Arnold was born to a Quaker family in Providence, Rhode, Island. In 1807, Arnold married Sarah…
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