Wisteria Archives

Jim Salyards and the Silent Spring at Filoli During COVID-19

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. March 25, 2020 Dearest reader, On this day, Jim Salyards, the dedicated Director of Horticulture at the grand Filoli Center, found himself wandering a silent paradise. The famed estate and its 16-acre formal…

Southern Gardens in Literary Bloom: The World of Fannie Flagg

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 21, 1944 My dearest garden enthusiasts, on this day, we celebrate the birth of a most delightful chronicler of Southern life, one whose words capture the intoxicating beauty of garden-scented Southern nights…

March 8, 2021 Build an Affordable Grow Light System, André Michaux, William Roscoe, Getting Wisteria to Bloom, Floral Libations by Cassie Winslow, and Charlotte Wheeler-Cuffe

The Daily Gardener Podcast Album Cover with a pot of rosemary - the herb for remembrance - beckoning gardeners to remember to listen to the show. Updated September 2025.

Peter Smithers: The Spy Who Loved Gardens

Sir Peter Smithers, a prominent figure known for his multifaceted career and passion for gardening.

A Gardener with a Camera December 9, 1913 Today is the birthday of the lawyer, politician, diplomat, scholar, photographer, award-winning gardener, writer, and spy Peter Smithers. Peter learned to love gardening as a little boy. One of his earliest memories came when he was four years old and planted mustard seeds with his nanny. He…

Six Favorite Plants Named for People – and Some May Surprise You

“Wisteria is named in honor of Caspar Wistar, (“Wiss-Star”) a distinguished physician, and scientist of Philadelphia. Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist, discovered the plant known as fuchsia, while William Forsyth, a Scotch botanist, is responsible for the name of forsythia.” August 1, 1950 The Ithaca Journal out of Ithaca, New York, published a question from…

Caspar Wistar and the Flowering of Wisteria: A Legacy of Science, Friendship, and Gardens

The Younger Today is the anniversary of the death of the American physician Caspar Wistar (“Wiss-Star”), the Younger. His grandfather was also Caspar Wistar, so the Younger distinction helps people tell them apart. Wistar was a Professor of Anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1777, Caspar Wistar treated the wounded during the battle of…

Peter Smithers: The Spy Who Found His Refuge in the Garden

The Spy, Politician, Diplomat, and Gardener Today is the birthday of Peter Smithers, who was born on this day in 1913. Sir Peter Smithers, was a British politician and diplomat, but also an award-winning gardener. He worked as a British spy during World War II. Smithers was said to have inspired the fictional character of…

Caspar Wistar: The Physician Who Inspired the Beloved Wisteria

The Wistar Institute On this day in 1777, Caspar Wistar treated the wounded during the battle of Germantown and decided he would pursue medical training. Wistar (“Wiss-Star”)is the names of The Wistar Institute, the nation’s first independent biomedical research center. Today, they focus on cancer, infectious disease & vaccine research to benefit human health. The…

Caspar Wistar: The Man Behind Wisteria and Philadelphia’s Great Salon

The Younger Wistar Today is the birthday of Caspar Wistar, the Younger who was born on this day in 1761. His grandfather was also Caspar Wistar, so the Younger distinction helps people tell them apart. Wistar was a Professor of Anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. The botanist Thomas Nuttall named the genus Wisteria in…

Six Popular Plants Named for Famous People and Botanists

A vivid cluster of bright pink bougainvillea bracts, surrounding small white blossoms. The flowers fill the frame with their striking, papery texture and intense color, capturing the lively character of this ornamental plant.

“Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist, discovered the plant known as fuchsia, while William Forsyth, a Scotch botanist, is responsible for the name forsythia.” August 1, 1950 On this day, The Ithaca Journal, out of Ithaca, New York, published a question from a reader. The reader wanted an answer to this question: Please list a few…