Cranberries in a strainer

Seven Things You Might Not Know About Cranberries

They're red, tart, and mostly eaten at Thanksgiving. Love them or hate them, here are seven things you might not have known about the humble cranberry.
Constantine Samuel Rafinesque

The Raffish and Radical Constantine Samuel Rafinesque

Constantine Samuel Rafinesque was an adventuring naturalist who named 2,700 genera and wrote about evolution before Darwin. Why has he been forgotten?
Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter

The Other Side of Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter's biography covers a lot more than just cute bunnies getting into trouble in mean old Mr. McGregor's farm. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Anna Atkins cyanotype

The Artful Science of Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins reportedly created the first photographically illustrated and printed book in response to another monograph she thought was shoddily done.
Avocado

The Illustrious History of the Avocado

Avocados had an important place in Mesoamerican peoples’ diet, mythology, and culture. It’s possible that they were eaten in Mexico 10,000 years ago.
Agnes Chase

Women’s Fight for Scientific Fieldwork

How did women scientists fit into the naturalists and botanist mix during their earliest days in the field?
Colored illustration of blueberries

The Delicious Origins of the Domesticated Blueberry

Frederick Coville and Elizabeth White, two strangers, domesticated the blueberry together. They valued beauty and worked to support local communities.
Holotype of Diplazium grammatoides Fée; Verified by George R. Proctor, 1985/10

Botanist and Murderer? The Strange End of George R. Proctor

The obituary of noted botanist George R. Proctor reveals a surprising story.
Sara Plummer Lemmon Botanist

Sara Plummer Lemmon: Pioneering Botanist

Botany didn’t just intrigue and entertain Sara Plummer Lemmon—it deeply affected her personal life.
Orange and rust autumn leaves, illustrated

Why Do Leaves Change Colors in the Fall?

Why do leaves change colors in fall?