#plantlove
Specimens contained in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium represent the endless…
A World of Tulips
Tulip bulbs that have been tucked safely underground all winter are springing…
Addisonia
Addisonia: Colored Illustrations and Popular Descriptions of Plants was a journal published by…
Air plants
Specimen StoriesFocus on Science
The little air plant in your house that you mist every day could…
An Unrequited Botanical Love Story
The love of botany is responsible for both fostering and hindering this…
Ancient plant DNA
Using a NYBG herbarium specimen, PhD grad student Lizzie Joyce turned back…
Art Cronquist's Tree: Japanese Wingnut
Recently walking on the NYBG grounds on a lovely spring day just…
Augustine Henry
Augustine Henry was one of the first and most prolific western botanists to collect in Central China,…
Begonias
The genus Begonia contains over 1800 species. They are native to tropical…
Botanical Lessons
Botany students must learn the structures of flowers in all their intricate variety.…
Carnivorous plants
Cabinet of CuriositiesFocus on Science
Watch out, these plants are hungry! Most carnivorous plants grow in bogs…
Carol Gracie: Interpreter of Nature's Stories
Women in ScienceWorks of ArtCollectors
A beloved member of the NYBG community for over 40 years, Carol…
Christmas Tree Species
Though most Christmas trees are in the pine family, Pinaceae, they are…
Climate Research and Herbarium Specimens
Climate research requires lots of data. Data about the conditions on earth now,…
Conifers and Mistletoes
Evergreen trees and mistletoe both come to mind when we decorate with holiday…
Corpse Flower
Another famous plant in the Araceae family is the Titan Arum or…
Daffodils are blooming!
It's springtime and the daffodils are blooming outside! In the herbarium, these…
David Hosack's Elgin Botanic Garden
Elgin Botanic Garden was the first public botanical garden in the United…
Dog Days of Summer: Good Dog!
Cabinet of CuriositiesWhat's in a name?
Dogs have a special place in our lives, as trusting companions and…
Don't touch
Plants have evolved many ways to protect themselves, from growing barbs that…
El Yunque
Set foot in El Yunque, the beautiful tropical rain forest in eastern Puerto…
Fancy Foliage
Where did that sweet little potted plant sitting on your window sill…
Fetid Flowers
With names like Stinking Benjamin, Corpse Flower, and Skunk Cabbage; these flowers…
Fig family, Moraceae
Ficus carica L., the edible common fig has been cultivated for millenia.…
Floating Flowers
If you're staying cool this summer in your favorite swimming hole, here are…
Flora Borinqueña
In February 1906, Nathaniel and Elizabeth Britton, founders of The New York…
Frances W. Horne
Frances Horne was an academic, an artist and a botanist. She earned her…
Garden Vegetables
If you're planting your own garden this spring what will you choose to grow?…
Ghost Forests of the Mid-Atlantic
One of the most visually apparent impacts of climate change are the emerging…
Herbarium Specimens Show Changes in Carbon Dioxide Levels
It has been documented that since the industrial revolution there has been an…
Herbarium Specimens Show Changes in the Landscape
Changing climate means changing landscapes. Herbarium specimens document what plants are growing in…
Jane Colden - America's First Female Botanist
Highly respected among her male peers in the 18th century, Jane Colden…
Jeanne Baret
CollectorsWomen in ScienceExpeditions
Jeanne Baret was the first woman ever to circumnavigate the globe, but…
John Torrey
John Torrey (1796-1873) is considered one of the most influential American botanists…
John Torrey on Gray's Peak
In 1861 Charles Parry was the first explorer to ascend Gray's Peak…
July in the Native Plant Garden
The Native Plant Garden is looking lovely right now! Some plants that…
Marantaceae, Arrowroot family
Marantaceae, the Arrowroot family, is thought to have originated in Africa, though much of…
Mary Emily Eaton
Mary Emily Eaton was an accomplished natural history illustrator employed at the…
Milestones
Since its inception NYBG has focused on building an extensive and valuable herbarium…
Mums the Word
With their vibrant purples, deep reds and bright yellows, Mums (or Chrysanthemums) are always…
Otto Kuntze
Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze was a german botanist who made expeditions to every…
Phenology and Herbarium Specimens
As habitats get warmer, a plant's life cycle can change. For example, when spring…
Philodendron
Specimen StoriesFocus on Science
Greek: Philo- (love) dendron (tree) There are close to 500 species of…
Pitcher Plants
Pitcher Plants sometimes attract insects to their specialized leaves with nectar or…
Plants of Sítio Roberto Burle Marx
Roberto Burle Marx was an artist, a landscape architect and an early…
Skunk Cabbage
Specimen StoriesFocus on Science
A locally occuring arum in the northeast U.S., skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus…
Snap shot of the Rock Garden, circa 1942
NYBG's Rock Garden in the spring is full of treasures that have been documented…
Spider Plant
The spider plant is in the genus Chlorophytum which contains almost 200 species, mostly originating…
Studying the DNA of Herbarium Specimens
Molecular biologists study the DNA of plants. They use this data to identify…
Sundews
Sundews. Drosera is the largest genus of carniverous plants, with almost 200…
Surviving the Fires of Australia
Amid the tragedy of the Australian fires, the Wollemi Pine is a…
The Azalea Garden
Always a destination for Mother's Day, the Azalea Garden is a spring…
The Brittons: Partners in Life and Botany
The establishment of The New York Botanical Garden was the result of…
The Cactaceae
The Cactaceae was a publication written by the founder of NYBG, Nathaniel Lord Britton…