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

Duck dispersal

Sep 26 2019

Specimen Stories

As more land is developed, plants have an increasingly difficult task of…


By Amy Weiss

Eight Days of Oil

Dec 16 2019

Specimen Stories

Oil has a special significance for those who celebrate Hanukkah. This Jewish…


By Sarah Dutton

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 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 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

Ellen's Illustrations

Mar 20 2019

Works of Art

We know Ellen Hutchins produced hundreds of detailed watercolors of marine algae. Some…


By Laura Briscoe

Ellen's Types

Mar 20 2019

Women in Science

Among many of the interesting things Ellen Hutchins collected were collections that…


By Laura Briscoe

Escapes from cultivation

Sep 26 2019

Specimen Stories

Humans have a long history of moving and cultivating plant species. But…


By Amy Weiss

Ethnobotanical Uses of Dates

Apr 10 2024

Specimen Stories

Although eating the fruit may be the most well-known use of the…


By Tara Allen

Exploring Antemoro Paper: Preserving Language and Culture

Feb 19 2025

In the southern highlands of Madagascar, the Antemoro people carry on a…


By Johanna Mitra

Exploring Kozo Paper : Special Qualities and its…

Feb 19 2025

Washi, the traditional handmade paper of Japan, holds a revered place in…


By Hannah Wheeler

Exploring the Bahamas with Lewis Jones Knight Brace

Sep 19 2019

CollectorsExpeditions

The Bahamas suffered its worst natural disaster recently as Hurricane Dorian, a…


By Matthew C. Pace

Fern Fever

Apr 2 2019

Specimen Stories

During the 19th century, a severe case of “fern fever” swept over…


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

Firewood and pathogens

Sep 26 2019

Specimen Stories

As plants travel the world with people, these plants can bring along…


By Amy Weiss

Fleshy Fruits

Nov 8 2022

In addition to being eaten straight from the tree or shrub, many…


By Emily B. Sessa

Floating Flowers

Aug 15 2019

Works of Art

If you're staying cool this summer in your favorite swimming hole, here are…


By Nicole Tarnowsky

Floral Fireworks

Jul 1 2019

Specimen Stories

When fireworks are needed, no matter the reason, these herbarium specimens will help…


By Amy Weiss

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

For the duration: Beyond NYBG, the safekeeping of…

Apr 25 2025

This is the second part of  For the Duration. To read about…


By Amy Weiss

For the duration: Segregation and annotation of type…

Apr 25 2025

This is the third part of  For the Duration. To start at…


By Amy Weiss

For the duration: The safekeeping of American herbaria…

Apr 25 2025

Specimen Stories

The bombing of the military complex at Pearl Harbor, on December 7,…


By Amy Weiss

Fruit-eating lemurs

Sep 26 2019

Specimen Stories

Given the abundance of tasty fruit, it is clear that many plants…


By Amy Weiss

Fruits of Rosaceae

Apr 22 2023

Specimen Stories

Flowering plants differ from all other plants by producing seeds within fruits;…


By Amy Weiss

Fungi + Algae = Lichens

Feb 6 2020

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


By Laura Briscoe

George Massee

Mar 21 2019

The fungal herbarium of George E. Massee was acquired by NY in…


By Laura Briscoe

George Washington Carver

Feb 5 2019

Collectors

George Washington Carver (1860s–1943) was an inventor, teacher, botanist, and mycologist (a…


By Amy Weiss

Geraldine Watson: Botanist and Activist of Texas’s Big…

Jul 31 2025

Women in Science

Geraldine Watson, born in Louisiana in 1925, never planned to become a…


By Luke Sparreo

Ginger and Chiya

Aug 4 2022

Specimen Stories

Ginger, also known as Zingiber officinale is native to tropical climates like…


By Ang Lama

Good grief, Charles Geyer

Mar 1 2019

Collectors

Charles (Karl) A. Geyer was a pioneer botanical collector of the Northwestern…


By Amy Weiss

Granite outcrop specialists

May 15 2019

Focus on Science

Plants are amazing and can adapt to live in the most unlikely…


By Amy Weiss

Happy Little Trees

Apr 24 2020

Works of Art

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


By Amy Weiss

Heard it through the grapevine

May 21 2019

Specimen Stories

Vitis is the genus of one of the world’s favorite horticultural crop:…


By Philip Evich

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