Fire Island: Preserving a Unique Ecological & Cultural…
On a geological time scale, barrier islands are by definition impermanent, ever-changing,…
Meet Spiranthes bightensis: A New Orchid in Our…
Focus on ScienceSpecimen Stories
Botanists have probably described and named 99% of the plants native to…
Rooted in Plants: An Interview with Arvolyn Hill
Arvolyn Hill is the Family Programs Coordinator at the Everett Children’s Adventure…
Conifers and Mistletoes
Evergreen trees and mistletoe both come to mind when we decorate with holiday…
Brown and Beautiful
Whether naturally brown, or turning brown during the preservation steps needed to create herbarium…
Extraordinary Oak Leaves
Cabinet of CuriositiesSpecimen Stories
Oak trees are a familiar sight to people all around the world,…
The Sacred Plant of Peru: The San Pedro…
For thousands of years, the indigenous people of Peruvian Amazon have used…
Traditional Medicine: Momordica charantia
Momordica charantia L. is a plant species that is used in the…
Greetings from Camp
Even if you have never attended a sleepaway summer camp, chances are you've gotten a…
Modern Art
Herbarium specimens play an important part in plant science research. But the specimens themselves can…
Mystery Tree of Rondônia
In September 2019 I went to Rondônia state in Brazil in the…
Sticky Rice
Focus on ScienceWhat's in a name?
A couple of years ago I was asked by Michael Purugganan (Dean…
The Tecate Cypress: What a Tangled Web
While working as a digitization intern, one of the most pleasing features…
Kate Furbish and the Flora of Maine
Catherine Furbish was born in 1834 in Exeter, New Hampshire. From an…
Virtual Road Trip: Southern Wildflowers
Many Americans are currently practicing social distancing and self-quarantine as a way…
Pollination after dark
Although sometimes overlooked, bats are vital pollinators for many economically important species…
Plant Inspired Innovations: Nepenthes and Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous…
Most plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots. Carnivorous plants…
Picnic in Central Park
Since its completion in 1876, Central Park has been a favorite destination…
Palm Patterns
Creating specimens of palms pose a challenge to collectors—how best to trim, arrange,…
Species that Work-from-Home
Like many of you, NYBG herbarium staff are currently working from home…
Dancing Lady Orchids Take Center Stage
Dancing Lady Orchid is the collective common name for the orchid genus…
Orchids of New York: Fairy Slippers and Dragon…
Although most orchids are found in the tropical mountain systems of the…
Women in Genera
What's in a name?Women in Science
For as long as we've been using binomial nomenclature to name species,…