Posts Tagged ‘herbarium collections’
Therese of Bavaria: The Princess Who Found Freedom in Flowers
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 12, 1850 On this day, Princess Therese of Bavaria (teh-RAY-zuh of buh-VAIR-ee-uh), was born. This remarkable woman found her true calling not in the gilded halls of Bavaria’s royal palaces but in…
Read MoreWilliam Copeland McCalla: Pioneer of Alberta Botany and Botanical Photography
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 8, 1872 On this day, William Copeland McCalla was born Born into a family where his father ran a conservatory in St. Catharines, Ontario, McCalla developed twin passions that would define his…
Read MoreA Pioneering Voice in Texas Botany: Maude Jeannie Young
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 1, 1826 Maude Jeannie Fuller Young (pronounced “MAW-duh JEE-nee FULL-er YOUNG”) was born on this day in 1826. Though she would become known for many accomplishments, it’s her groundbreaking contribution to botanical…
Read MoreA Count’s Legacy: The Botanical Adventures of Hippolyte François Jaubert
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 28, 1798 Today we celebrate Count Hippolyte François Jaubert [ee-po-LEET frahn-SWAH zho-BEAR], a fascinating figure who bridged the worlds of politics and botany in 19th century France. Though his heart yearned for…
Read MoreBotanical Hide and Seek: Charles Short and the Shortia Story
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 6, 1794 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a true luminary in the world of botany and medicine, Charles Wilkins Short. A son of Kentucky, Short would go…
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 MoreThe Long Search for Shortia: Charles Wilkins Short and a Botanist’s Mystery
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 6, 1794 Dearest reader, On this day was born Charles Wilkins Short, a Kentucky physician and botanist whose passion for flora blossomed into a remarkable legacy. In 1833, he authored a comprehensive…
Read MoreThe Solitary Botanist: Mary Sophie Young’s Texas Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 20, 1872 Dearest garden enthusiasts, today we celebrate the birth of Mary Sophie Young, a tenacious botanist who, like her seven older brothers taught her to be, was tough enough to brave…
Read MoreAven Nelson: Father of Wyoming Botany and the Yellowstone Expedition
The Father of Wyoming Botany March 24, 1859 Today is the birthday of the American botanist, who specialized in the Rocky Mountains, Aven Nelson. In 1899, Aven led a 14-week botanical expedition through Yellowstone. Aven had hired a student named Leslie Goodding to be the chore boy for $10 per month. The group assembled at…
Read MoreTownshend Stith Brandegee: A Life of Botany, Love, and the Great Western Forests
Mulberry Trees February 16, 1843 Today is the birthday of the American botanist Townshend Stith Brandegee. Townshend was born into one of America’s oldest and prominent families, and he was the oldest of twelve children. Townshend’s middle name, Stith, was his mother’s maiden name. Townshend was descended from three generations of men named Elishama. Townshend’s…
Read MoreCharles Theodore Mohr: Alabama’s Pioneer Botanist and World Traveler
‘Bama Botanist Today is the anniversary of the death of botanist Charles Theodore Mohr. Although he was born in Germany and educated in Stuttgart, Charles became one of Alabama’s first botanists. He emigrated to the United States in 1848. A trained pharmacist, Charles traveled the world before settling in Alabama, and he especially enjoyed collecting…
Read MoreSir William Jackson Hooker: The Botanist Who Elevated Kew Gardens to Greatness
Tour in Iceland Today is the birthday of the great Sir William Jackson Hooker. Hooker was both a botanist and a botanical illustrator, and he was a great friend of Joseph Banks. Thanks to his inheritance, Hooker was wealthy; he didn’t need a patron to fund his work or expeditions. Hooker’s first expedition was to…
Read MoreGeorge Clifford Ill: The Dutch Banker Who Shaped Linnaeus’s Botanical Masterpiece
Director of Dutch East India Trading Company Today is the birthday of the wealthy Dutch banker and a director of the Dutch East India Company George Clifford III. Clifford loved gardens and had a passion for plants and plant collecting. His work with the Dutch East India Company had made him quite wealthy, and he…
Read MoreJosé Celestino Mutis: Colombia’s Botanical Pioneer and the Master of Botanical Art Production
The Flora of Granada Today is the anniversary of the death of the Spanish priest, botanist, physician, and naturalist José Celestino Mutis who spent almost 50 years in Columbia, where he is regarded as a national treasure for his scientific work. In the 18th century, Columbia and the area around it was known as New…
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