Naming the Rainbow: Purpurea / Purple
The deep color purpura, Latin for purple, is commonly used to indicate…
NYBG 2022 New Species Review!
Every year, botanists describe hundreds of new plant, algal, fungal, and lichen…
NYBG 2023 New Species Review!
Every year, botanists describe hundreds of new plants, algae, fungi, and lichens…
Honoring the Quechua Language
What's in a name?Specimen Stories
Quechua is a family of indigenous languages spoken by the Quechua peoples of…
Dendrobium
With over 1,800 know species, Dendrobium is one of the 10 most…
Reindeer Lichens
In this most wonderful time of the year, Christmas is naturally on…
Alice Eastwood
Alice Eastwood was a self-taught Canadian-American botanist. After graduating from high school…
Plant species named after Alice Eastwood
Several botanists have honored Eastwood's contributions to science by naming new plant…
Love Potions & Charms
Love potions and charms are mentioned countless times throughout literature; from ancient…
Mary Agnes Chase: Mentor, Activist, Botanist
Mary Agnes Chase was a self educated, determined, and influential botanist. Early…
The Three Sisters
Companion planting is the technique of growing plants closely together for mutual…
Pollination after dark
Although sometimes overlooked, bats are vital pollinators for many economically important species…
Iconic plants of the Amazon
The Amazon Rain Forest, Earth’s largest tropical rain forest, is an immense…
Maize & Teosinte
Maize (Zea mays), or corn, is a domesticated cereal crop native to…
Madagascar periwinkle
Commonly known as Madagascar periwinkle, this member of the dogbane family has…
Picnic in Central Park
Since its completion in 1876, Central Park has been a favorite destination…
Rice and its Wild Relatives
Humans have been farming rice for approximately 10,000 years. The two major…
Plant Inspired Innovations: Nepenthes and Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous…
Most plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots. Carnivorous plants…
Being Loved To Death – A Third of…
As the many plants to be digitized in the Endless Forms project,…
The Sacred Plant of Peru: The San Pedro…
For thousands of years, the indigenous people of Peruvian Amazon have used…
John Torrey’s Trip to California and Colorado, 1872
In July of 1872, John Torrey and his daughter Margaret departed on…