Label Appreciation: Rainbow of colors

Jun 1 2021

Labels are as important to a herbarium specimen as the plant, algae, or…


By Amy Weiss

Fire Island: Preserving a Unique Ecological & Cultural…

May 28 2021

ExpeditionsSpecimen Stories

On a geological time scale, barrier islands are by definition impermanent, ever-changing,…


By McKenna Coyle

Follow a 1910 Botanical Expedition through Western Cuba

Apr 22 2021

Expeditions

The United States entered the Spanish American War in April of 1898.…


By Dr. Emily Sessions

Views from a 1910 Botanical Expedition through Western…

Apr 22 2021

Expeditions

New York Botanical Garden led around 136 botanical expeditions between 1898 and 1918.…


By Dr. Emily Sessions

Polka-dot Ferns

Apr 10 2021

Works of Art

Unlike flowering plants, ferns reproduce with spores instead of seeds. Fern spores…


By Amy Weiss

Elizabeth Knight Britton's Expeditions and Honors

Feb 26 2021

Women in Science

When the Garden began a series of expeditions to the Caribbean during…


By Dr. Emily Sessions

Elizabeth Knight Britton's Childhood in Cuba

Feb 26 2021

Women in Science

Elizabeth Knight Britton’s grandfather James Knight owned a sugar plantation and a…


By Dr. Emily Sessions

Elizabeth Knight Britton's Legacy in Cuba

Feb 26 2021

Women in Science

Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton’s career as a bryologist and her central role…


By Dr. Emily Sessions

Rooted in Plants: An Interview with Arvolyn Hill

Feb 12 2021

Specimen Stories

Arvolyn Hill is the Family Programs Coordinator at the Everett Children’s Adventure…


By Laura Briscoe

Lafayette Frederick - Fungal Systematist

Feb 2 2021

Lafayette Frederick (1923-2018) was exposed to plant diversity as a young child growing…


By Laura Briscoe

Thomas Gaither - Activist and Biologist

Feb 1 2021

Collectors

Dr. Thomas Walter Gaither (1938 - ) was born in Great Falls, South…


By Laura Briscoe

"Posy" Dodge, an Exemplary Citizen Scientist

Nov 19 2020

Collectors

In an age of growing efforts to engage the public in research…


By Kate Samra

Brown and Beautiful

Nov 1 2020

Works of Art

Whether naturally brown, or turning brown during the preservation steps needed to create herbarium…


By Amy Weiss

The Three Sisters

Oct 2 2020

Specimen Stories

Companion planting is the technique of growing plants closely together for mutual…


By Leanna Feder

The Sacred Plant of Peru: The San Pedro…

Sep 25 2020

Specimen Stories

For thousands of years, the indigenous people of Peruvian Amazon have used…


By Lin Li

Traditional Medicine: Momordica charantia

Sep 21 2020

Specimen Stories

Momordica charantia L. is a plant species that is used in the…


By Ina Vandebroek

Rainbow of Plant Dyes

Aug 17 2020

Works of Art

People have been dyeing their clothing with plants since ancient times. All around…


By Sarah Dutton

Label Appreciation: Borders

Jul 24 2020

Works of Art

Labels are as important to a herbarium specimen as the plant, alga, or…


By Amy Weiss

Arthonia stevensoniana

May 27 2020

What's in a name?

Arthonia etymology unknown stevensoniana from Stevenson, honoring Robert Louis Stevenson, author of…


By Laura Briscoe

Modern Art

May 20 2020

Works of Art

Herbarium specimens play an important part in plant science research. But the specimens themselves can…


By Amy Weiss

Octopodotus stupendus

May 7 2020

What's in a name?

Octopodotus from octopus and the Greek suffix–otus, indicating resemblance, because of the…


By Laura Briscoe

The Tecate Cypress: What a Tangled Web

Apr 30 2020

Specimen Stories

While working as a digitization intern, one of the most pleasing features…


By Kate Samra

Happy Little Trees

Apr 24 2020

Works of Art

I am a fan of Bob Ross and his show The Joy…


By Amy Weiss

Virtual Road Trip: Southern Wildflowers

Apr 23 2020

Expeditions

Many Americans are currently practicing social distancing and self-quarantine as a way…


By McKenna Coyle

Pollination after dark

Apr 20 2020

Specimen Stories

Although sometimes overlooked, bats are vital pollinators for many economically important species…


By Leanna Feder

Draw and Create Specimen Challenge

Apr 15 2020

Works of Art

Herbarium specimens are an important piece of a larger puzzle; helping people…


By Amy Weiss

Plant Inspired Innovations: Nepenthes and Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous…

Apr 13 2020

Focus on Science

Most plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots. Carnivorous plants…


By Lin Li

Snap shot of the Rock Garden, circa 1942

Apr 3 2020

Specimen Stories

NYBG's Rock Garden in the spring is full of treasures that have been documented…


By Nicole Tarnowsky

Palm Patterns

Apr 2 2020

Works of Art

Creating specimens of palms pose a challenge to collectors—how best to trim, arrange,…


By Amy Weiss

Understanding Interactions: Taking Botany Out of Isolation

Apr 1 2020

Focus on Science

For centuries we have viewed plants and fungi in isolation. Tried to…


By James C. Lendemer

Mary Agnes Chase: Mentor, Activist, Botanist

Mar 20 2020

Women in Science

Mary Agnes Chase was a self educated, determined, and influential botanist. Early…


By Leanna Feder

Dancing Lady Orchids Take Center Stage

Mar 17 2020

Specimen Stories

Dancing Lady Orchid is the collective common name for the orchid genus…


By Matthew C. Pace

Orchids of New York: Fairy Slippers and Dragon…

Mar 11 2020

Specimen Stories

Although most orchids are found in the tropical mountain systems of the…


By Matthew C. Pace

The Cotton Plant and Enslaved Labor

Feb 20 2020

The Cotton Plant (Gossypium) stood at the center of the most exploitative…


By Rashad Bell, Nuala Caomhanach

The Peanut Plant and a Black Genius

Feb 20 2020

“One reason I never patent my products is that if I did,…


By Rashad Bell, Nuala Caomhanach

The Rice Plant and Black Knowledge

Feb 20 2020

“The millions of Africans who were dragged to the New World were…


By Rashad Bell, Nuala Caomhanach

The Peacock Flower and Reproductive Resistance

Feb 20 2020

“Indians, who are not well treated in their servitude by the Dutch,…


By Rashad Bell, Nuala Caomhanach

The Vanilla Plant and Edmond

Feb 20 2020

Vanilla planifolia is the only orchid of significant economic importance as an…


By Rashad Bell, Nuala Caomhanach

Old Man's Beard: A Medicinal Lichen

Feb 7 2020

Focus on Science

Usnea is a genus of lichen, commonly known as Old Man’s Beard. …


By Ana Maria Ruiz

Fungi + Algae = Lichens

Feb 6 2020

What is a Lichen? Lichens are a fungal lifestyle: fungal species that…


By Laura Briscoe

Love Potions & Charms

Feb 6 2020

Specimen Stories

Love potions and charms are mentioned countless times throughout literature; from ancient…


By Leanna Feder

An Unrequited Botanical Love Story

Feb 5 2020

Collectors

The love of botany is responsible for both fostering and hindering this…


By Nicole Tarnowsky

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