A Pioneering Voice in Texas Botany: Maude Jeannie Young

Maude Jeannie Young with Texas yellow roses.

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…

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The Solitary Botanist: Mary Sophie Young’s Texas Legacy

Mary Sophie Young botanist on a summer collecting trip in West Texas. Image courtesy of University of Texas at Austin.

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…

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Tiny Troublemaker: The Orchid That Stopped a Highway

Navasota Ladies Tresses

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 10, 1983 On this day, dear readers, a most peculiar headline graced the pages of The Town Talk in Alexandria, Louisiana. It proclaimed, with no small measure of astonishment, ‘Rare Plant Halts…

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Seeds of Conservation: The Birth of the Native Plant Society of Texas

The Native Plant Society of Texas NPSOT

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 25, 1981 On this day, dear champions of indigenous flora, we celebrate the founding of The Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) at Texas Women’s University. This momentous occasion marked the beginning…

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