Posts Tagged ‘Linnaeus’
Antoine de Jussieu: The Botanical Bard of Lyon
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 6, 1686 On this day, dear horticultural enthusiasts, we celebrate the birth of a true titan of botany, the incomparable Antoine de Jussieu. Born in the fragrant city of Lyon, young Antoine…
Read MoreThe Botanical Casanova: Sébastien Vaillant’s Floral Revolution
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 26, 1669 On this day, dear gardeners and botanists alike, we celebrate the birth of Sébastien Vaillant, a French botanist whose passion for the floral world blossomed as early as his fifth…
Read MoreA Blossoming Legacy: Madeleine Basseporte, The King’s Garden Painter
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 28, 1701 Dearest fellow garden dreamer, On this day, a child destined to entwine brush and blossom in eternal partnership first entered the world: Madeleine Françoise Basseporte, the French botanical artist whose…
Read MoreJohn Mitchell: Botanist of Virginia and Maker of the Famous Mitchell Map
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 13, 1711 Dearest reader, On this day, in the dawn of the 18th century, a mind both precise and poetic entered the world — John Mitchell, an American physician, botanist, and polymath…
Read MoreBaobabs and mutations: Michel Adanson’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. April 7, 1727 Dearest reader, On this day, we celebrate the birth of Michel Adanson, a luminary of 18th-century botany whose pioneering spirit challenged the very foundations of plant classification. While we often…
Read MoreJohn Bartram: Father of American Botany and Pioneer of the First U.S. Botanical Garden
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. March 23, 1699 Dearest reader, On this day, we celebrate the birth of John Bartram, a true pioneer of American botany and exploration who laid the very roots of botanical science in the…
Read MoreBlossoms by the Hour: Unveiling the Floral Clock
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 27, 1873 Dear reader, on this day, a most intriguing missive emerged from the quaint hamlet of Pratt’s Junction, Massachusetts. It spoke of a marvel that would captivate both the horticultural enthusiast…
Read MoreMichel Adanson: The Botanist Behind Baobabs and Plant Mutation
The Methodology of Flowering Plants April 7, 1727 Today is the birthday of the 18th-century Scottish-French botanist and naturalist Michel Adanson. Michel created the first natural classification of flowering plants. In fact, the great botanist Jussieu (“Juice You”) adopted Michel’s methodology to create his masterpiece called Genera Plantarum (1789). Although today we think mainly of Darwin and…
Read MoreJohann Zinn and the Cinderella Flower: From Eyesore to Beloved Zinnia
The Cinderella Flower April 6, 1759 Today is the anniversary of the death of Johann Zinn, who died young at the age of 32. Johann accomplished much in his short life, and he focused on two seemingly disconnected areas of science: human anatomy and botany. From an anatomy standpoint, Johann focused on the eye. He…
Read MoreJohn Bartram: America’s First Botanist and His Lasting Garden Legacy
“The Greatest Natural Botanist in the World” March 23, 1699 Today is the birthday of the one of American’s earliest botanists, horticulturists and explorers: John Bartram. John founded the first botanical garden in America and Linnaeus called John the “greatest natural botanist in the world.” Like many botanists of his time, John was born into…
Read MoreCelebrating the Brilliant Young Swedish Botanist Peter Forsskal Who Died of Malaria in Yemen
“Linnaeus said this wild desert plant, a member of the non-stinging nettles genus, was as stubborn and persistent as Peter himself.” January 11, 1732 Today is the birthday of the Swedish-speaking Finnish explorer, naturalist, botanist, and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus, Peter Forsskål (“Pee-ah-tur Forsh-COOL”). Peter was the naturalist on the Royal Danish Expedition to…
Read MoreMichel Adanson, Baobabs, and the Roots of Botanical Classification
Mind Behind Mutation Today is the anniversary of the death of the 18th-century Scottish-French botanist and naturalist Michel Adanson. Michel created the first natural classification of flowering plants. In fact, Jussieu (“Juice You”) adopted Michel’s methodology to create his masterpiece that defined plant groups called Genera Plantarum (1789). Although today we think mainly of Darwin…
Read MoreJoseph Banks, the voyager botanist who shaped Kew and safeguarded Linnaeus’s legacy
Australian Flora and Fauna Today is the birthday of Joseph Banks. Banks is best known for his study of Australian flora and fauna and his role as the botanist on board the Endeavor with Captain James Cook. When they landed in Australia, neither Cook nor Banks realized that the quartz reef where they planted the…
Read MoreMaria Sibylla Merian: Remembering the Naturalist and Botanical Illustrator
Milkweed for the Monarchs Today is the anniversary of the death of the naturalist and botanical illustrator Maria Sibylla Merian. She was born on April 2, 1647. As a frame of reference, Isaac Newton was only a few years older than her. Unlike Newton, Merian’s work was largely forgotten over time. However, during the past…
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