Granite outcrop specialists
Plants are amazing and can adapt to live in the most unlikely…
Greetings from Camp
Even if you have never attended a sleepaway summer camp, chances are you've gotten a…
Gross
Sometimes collecting the perfect specimen means going places you'd rather not. Here…
Heard it through the grapevine
Vitis is the genus of one of the world’s favorite horticultural crop:…
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…
Hidden Women Botanists - Mrs. Herbert Huntington Smith
The NYBG herbarium has over two thousand specimens that are labeled as collected…
Hitchhikers
Some plants have evolved to literally hitchhike on passing animals. They have…
Honoring the Quechua Language
What's in a name?Specimen Stories
Quechua is a family of indigenous languages spoken by the Quechua peoples of…
Iconic plants of the Amazon
The Amazon Rain Forest, Earth’s largest tropical rain forest, is an immense…
Incised fumewort
A new invasive, this relative of the Bleeding Heart was recently found…
Indicators of past settlement
Humans alter the environments where they live and we can use those…
Insect Zombies
Cordyceps are parasitic fungi that often parasitize insects in a way that…
Isabella Aiona Abbott: First Lady of Limu
Before Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott became the first Native Hawaiian woman to…
It's not easy being green
People might pass over these green specimens 'cause they're not standing out…
J. K. Small's exploration in Southern Florida, 1915
John Kunkel Small, botanist and herbarium curator at the the New York Botanical…
Jane Colden - America's First Female Botanist
Highly respected among her male peers in the 18th century, Jane Colden…
Jean Baptiste François Bulliard
Jean Baptiste François Bulliard was French physician and botanist, especially interested in fungi.…
Jeanne Baret
CollectorsWomen in ScienceExpeditions
Jeanne Baret was the first woman ever to circumnavigate the globe, but…
John Cage
Mostly remembered for his experimental music compositions, John Cage was also a…
John Kunkel Small
John Kunkel Small (1869-1938) was a taxonomist and botanical explorer, who specialized…
John Muir
John Muir (1838–1914) was an influential naturalist and conservationist, and co-founder of the…
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…
John Torrey’s Trip to California and Colorado, 1872
In July of 1872, John Torrey and his daughter Margaret departed on…
Josephine Elizabeth Tilden
Josephine Elizabeth Tilden (1869-1957) was one of few women allowed a faculty…
Journey of the US Exploring Expedition (1838-1842)
One of the earliest and most impactful scientific expeditions led by the…
July in the Native Plant Garden
The Native Plant Garden is looking lovely right now! Some plants that…
Kate Furbish and the Flora of Maine
Catherine Furbish was born in 1834 in Exeter, New Hampshire. From an…
Kauai Digit Fern
The Kauai Digit Fern, or Doryopteris angelica, is a rare fern found in the forest on…
Koʻoloaʻula
This Federally Endangered Hibiscus relative with bright red flowers is endemic to…
Label Appreciation: Borders
Labels are as important to a herbarium specimen as the plant, alga, or…
Label Appreciation: Favorites
Labels are as important to a herbarium specimen as the plant, alga, or…
Lace Algae
Many of the red algae are incredibly delicate and beautiful, as exemplified…
Lavender
Lavender has been used in traditional medicine for centuries for its soothing…
Learning from Extinct Plants
Specimen StoriesFocus on Science
From the woolly mammoth to the passenger pigeon, many extinct species owe…
Leaves of three, let it be!
If you enjoy spending time outdoors, you surely have heard the age-old…
Lettuce Lichen
Similar to the Old Man’s Beard, Lungwort lichens can only thrive in…
Lichenicolous Fungi
Composed of different species each playing a different role, a lichen can…
Life in Slot Canyons
Cabinet of CuriositiesExpeditions
Slot canyons are deep channels eroded into rock. They are often ten…
Love Potions & Charms
Love potions and charms are mentioned countless times throughout literature; from ancient…
Madagascar periwinkle
Commonly known as Madagascar periwinkle, this member of the dogbane family has…
Maize & Teosinte
Maize (Zea mays), or corn, is a domesticated cereal crop native to…