Ascension Island: Volcanoes, Castaways, and Darwin’s Manmade Forest
One million years ago, a volcano broke the surface in the middle…
Typical: Christmas in the clouds
Bassett Maguire (1904–1991), a botanist who spent the majority of his career…
Myanmar Mystery Solved
Working in a Herbarium sometimes requires detective work. This Myanmar mystery started…
Surviving the Fires of Australia
Amid the tragedy of the Australian fires, the Wollemi Pine is a…
An Unrequited Botanical Love Story
The love of botany is responsible for both fostering and hindering this…
Fungi of Australia
As the continent of Australia continues to burn, scientists wonder what these…
Love Potions & Charms
Love potions and charms are mentioned countless times throughout literature; from ancient…
Old Man's Beard: A Medicinal Lichen
Usnea is a genus of lichen, commonly known as Old Man’s Beard. …
The Saguaro Cactus: Emblematic Plant of the American…
Specimen StoriesWhat's in a name?
With its tall, columnar shape and upward-bending branches, the cactus we know…
Black Botany: The Nature of Black Experience
Black Botany: The Nature of Black Experience seeks to acknowledge the complex…
Hidden Women Botanists - Mrs. Herbert Huntington Smith
The NYBG herbarium has over two thousand specimens that are labeled as collected…
Seuss-ian Specimens
While the illustrations in books by Dr. Seuss depict fanciful folliage, reality…
No Leaves, No Problem!
Although the vast majority of plants have leaves, not all plants do,…
Women in Genera
What's in a name?Women in Science
For as long as we've been using binomial nomenclature to name species,…
Orchids of New York: Fairy Slippers and Dragon…
Although most orchids are found in the tropical mountain systems of the…
Dancing Lady Orchids Take Center Stage
Dancing Lady Orchid is the collective common name for the orchid genus…
Mary Agnes Chase: Mentor, Activist, Botanist
Mary Agnes Chase was a self educated, determined, and influential botanist. Early…
Species that Work-from-Home
Like many of you, NYBG herbarium staff are currently working from home…
Jane Colden - America's First Female Botanist
Highly respected among her male peers in the 18th century, Jane Colden…
Understanding Interactions: Taking Botany Out of Isolation
For centuries we have viewed plants and fungi in isolation. Tried to…
Palm Patterns
Creating specimens of palms pose a challenge to collectors—how best to trim, arrange,…
Snap shot of the Rock Garden, circa 1942
NYBG's Rock Garden in the spring is full of treasures that have been documented…
Picnic in Central Park
Since its completion in 1876, Central Park has been a favorite destination…
Wild Cinnamon
Although not related to true cinnamon, Cinnamodendron corticosum is a similar spice tree.…
Plant Inspired Innovations: Nepenthes and Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous…
Most plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots. Carnivorous plants…
Draw and Create Specimen Challenge
Herbarium specimens are an important piece of a larger puzzle; helping people…
Garden Vegetables
If you're planting your own garden this spring what will you choose to grow?…
Pollination after dark
Although sometimes overlooked, bats are vital pollinators for many economically important species…
Virtual Road Trip: Southern Wildflowers
Many Americans are currently practicing social distancing and self-quarantine as a way…
Kate Furbish and the Flora of Maine
Catherine Furbish was born in 1834 in Exeter, New Hampshire. From an…
The Tecate Cypress: What a Tangled Web
While working as a digitization intern, one of the most pleasing features…
A World of Tulips
Tulip bulbs that have been tucked safely underground all winter are springing…
Exploring the Conservation Status of Jamaican Root Tonic…
Jamaican root tonics are fermented beverages composed of roots, bark, and other…
Sticky Rice
Focus on ScienceWhat's in a name?
A couple of years ago I was asked by Michael Purugganan (Dean…
Octopodotus stupendus
Octopodotus from octopus and the Greek suffix–otus, indicating resemblance, because of the…
Mystery Tree of Rondônia
In September 2019 I went to Rondônia state in Brazil in the…
Modern Art
Herbarium specimens play an important part in plant science research. But the specimens themselves can…
Arthonia stevensoniana
Arthonia etymology unknown stevensoniana from Stevenson, honoring Robert Louis Stevenson, author of…
Label Appreciation: Borders
Labels are as important to a herbarium specimen as the plant, alga, or…
Greetings from Camp
Even if you have never attended a sleepaway summer camp, chances are you've gotten a…
Rainbow of Plant Dyes
People have been dyeing their clothing with plants since ancient times. All around…
Traditional Medicine: Momordica charantia
Momordica charantia L. is a plant species that is used in the…
The Sacred Plant of Peru: The San Pedro…
For thousands of years, the indigenous people of Peruvian Amazon have used…
The Three Sisters
Companion planting is the technique of growing plants closely together for mutual…
Extraordinary Oak Leaves
Cabinet of CuriositiesSpecimen Stories
Oak trees are a familiar sight to people all around the world,…
Creepy Cultivars
The word "cultivar" is a blend of the words "cultivated" and "variety".…
Brown and Beautiful
Whether naturally brown, or turning brown during the preservation steps needed to create herbarium…
Flora Borinqueña
In February 1906, Nathaniel and Elizabeth Britton, founders of The New York…
"Posy" Dodge, an Exemplary Citizen Scientist
In an age of growing efforts to engage the public in research…
Conifers and Mistletoes
Evergreen trees and mistletoe both come to mind when we decorate with holiday…
Reindeer Lichens
In this most wonderful time of the year, Christmas is naturally on…
Thomas Gaither - Activist and Biologist
Dr. Thomas Walter Gaither (1938 - ) was born in Great Falls, South…
Rooted in Plants: An Interview with Arvolyn Hill
Arvolyn Hill is the Family Programs Coordinator at the Everett Children’s Adventure…
Sister Mary Clare Metz: Faith and Flora
While digitizing specimens for the Texas and Oklahoma Regional Consortium of Herbaria,…
Elizabeth Knight Britton's Expeditions and Honors
When the Garden began a series of expeditions to the Caribbean during…
Elizabeth Knight Britton's Childhood in Cuba
Elizabeth Knight Britton’s grandfather James Knight owned a sugar plantation and a…
Elizabeth Knight Britton's Legacy in Cuba
Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton’s career as a bryologist and her central role…
Elizabeth Knight Britton's Early Career
Elizabeth Knight Britton went on to complete her schooling at the Normal…
Polka-dot Ferns
Unlike flowering plants, ferns reproduce with spores instead of seeds. Fern spores…