Women Botanists & Botanical Artists

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19th and 20th Century Plant Pioneers

In the winter 2018 to 2022 issues of the Arboretum Bulletin, manager of the Elisabeth C. Miller Library Brian Thompson wrote a four-part book-review series about the lives and achievements of early women botanists and botanical artists in Europe, North America, and beyond.

These fearless, pioneering women upended stereotypes and broke down barriers of male hierarchy, while contributing to the advancement of our knowledge and appreciation of plants. Read about their lives, the books they published, and their biographies, and visit the Miller Library to see and learn more.

 

gravel pathway lined with Mediterranean plants

Mary Schäffer Warren exploring in the Canadian Rockies, circa 1911.

gravel pathway lined with Mediterranean plants

Meconopsis × sheldonii ‘Slieve Donard’, by Wendy Walsh, circa 1983.

gravel pathway lined with Mediterranean plants
Humor: The Garden is a Dangerous Place

Humor: The Garden is a Dangerous Place

Gardening is a scary pastime, or so writer Barbara Blossom Ashmun claims in her article in the latest  Arboretum Bulletin. In her many years as a garden professional and hobbiest, she has been attacked by bald-faced hornets, poisoned by plant sap, sent to ER because...

Bigleaf Maple: A Native Tree With Much to Offer!

Bigleaf Maple: A Native Tree With Much to Offer!

As the warmth of summer fills our days, the canopy cover of trees provides welcome respite from the heat. With a spreading crown and thick branches covered with a profusion of foliage, mosses, lichens and ferns, the bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) stands out as a...

Marvelous Woody Mints of the Arboretum

Marvelous Woody Mints of the Arboretum

The mint family, Lamiaceae, is a familiar one for gardeners. We plant lots of low-growing herbaceous plants from this group - such as salvias, basil, and bee balm - in our kitchen gardens and ornamental borders. But you may be surprised to learn that the family also...