Green Ixia, Watercolor on Vellum by Jean Emmons, US

Ixia viridiflora

Listing: Endangered, National Red List of South African Plants

The Plant’s Story

The Cape Floral Kingdom is a global biodiversity hotspot. The wine industry in South Africa is the world’s ninth largest, and nearly all of it takes place within this global hotspot. Over 100 vineyards have joined the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, a consortium with the Botanical Society of South Africa, Conservation International, and the Green Trust, setting aside lands for conservation purposes, removing non-native vegetation, and implementing sustainable practices in grape cultivation. South Africa has created teams of mostly volunteers who have gone through training to learn how to identify at-risk plants and habitats, called CREW teams (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers). CREW teams have found several notable species on the property of Theuniskraal Vineyard including this beautiful Ixia viridflora. A portion of the property Tulbagh Alluvium Fynbos, is considered a critically endangered habitat.

The Artist’s Story: Jean Emmons

Brooklyn Botanic Garden grew plants of Ixia viridiflora from seed for their Warm Temperate Pavilion, one of the most diverse collections of Cape flora in the United States. Cut flowers and a small plant were mailed to me in order to create a previous painting for the Brooklyn Garden Florilegium Project. I was so taken with the turquoise color of the Ixia, I wanted to try another painting of it. My technique involves starting with multiple layers of pale washes in many different colors. Slowly, I work dryer and dryer and finish with very tight drybrush using the local color of the plant.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.  This artwork is on the cover of the Losing Paradise? exhibit catalog.

Marsh Gentian, Watercolor by Gillian Barlow, UK

Gentiana pneumonanthe


Listing: Protected Status, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

The Plant’s Story

Marsh gentian is being studied all over northern Europe, mainly because of its fascinating relationship with the rare Alcon blue butterfly. Adult Alcon blues lay their eggs on the outside of marsh gentian flowers, and when the larvae hatch, they emerge inside, where they begin to feed on the flower. After molting 3 times, these caterpillars chew through to the outside of the flower, then lower themselves to the ground on a “silken thread”. The caterpillar awaits the arrival of a Myrmica ant, which adopts it and carries it back to the ant’s nest. There it is fed by the ant colony through the fall and winter, growing quite large. In spring it forms a chrysalis, then emerges and exits the colony as quickly as it can to avoid being killed by the ants. Encroaching tree cover is one of the reasons for the marsh gentian’s shrinking range. Their largest threat however, is the modernization of agricultural practices.

The Artist’s Story: Gillian Barlow

Since we both live nearby, I became close friends with a botanical artist and a volunteer warden of Tadnoll Heath, which is close to Winfrith Heath. This area, though small is very richly varied and contains a multitude of plants. In late summer the brilliant blue flowers look spectacular with the orange yellow of bog asphodel and the crimson haired sundews that thrive in the same damp conditions, all together making a glorious mosaic of colors. I spent many happy hours walking on the heath, hunting for plants.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Heath, Watercolor by Jennifer Johnston Davidson, South Africa

Erica verticillata

Listing: Extinct in the Wild, National Red List of South African Plants

The Plant’s Story

Erica verticillata can be seen as representing one of the worst “paradise lost” scenarios – the extinction of a species and severe loss of its natural habitat. But it is also a story of great hope, where a species extinct in the wild is saved by a few plants preserved in botanical garden collections. It is now being reintroduced into small isolated remnants of its natural habitat, where it is producing viable seed. Erica verticillata is being saved by collaboration between dedicated horticulturists, botanists, conservationists, volunteers, civic and corporate entities in Cape Town and supported by colleagues in South Africa and round the world. However, its habitat continues to be threatened and its future, and that of other Acid Sand Plain Fynbos plants is still tenuous.

The Artist’s Story: Jennifer Johnston Davidson

I was speaking to a horticulturist at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden when she suggested I paint Erica verticillata. The next thing I knew, thanks to Anthony Hitchcock Nursery, Plant Collections and Cape Millennium Seed Bank Manager, I had a permit in my hand and a couple of horticulturists were taking me around Kirstenbosch Gardens collecting the different forms of Erica verticillata. I had read Anthony’s article in Veld & Flora, the Botanical Society of South Africa Magazine, “Restoration Conservation at Kirstenbosch” earlier and found the whole story quite amazing. I was committed from the start even though I quivered at the prospect of recording all those little leaves! Because of the help I received, I had the luxury of working from live plant materials, depicting five of the different forms discovered and those used in the breeding program.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Bowl Flower, Watercolor by Jee-Yeon Koo, South Korea

Cypripedium japonicum

Listing: CITES Appendix II

The Plant’s Story

Cypripedium japonicum is known in Korea as Kwangreung Yogang Flower, so named because the shape of the flower resembles a bowl. It has always been rare in cultivation outside of Asia. On the brink of extinction in Korea, only about 200 individuals remain in the wild. The Korean government is actively seeking to safeguard Cypripedium japonicum and several mountains and villages have been designated as protected habitats. Numbers of this orchid in China and Japan are greater, but they are all protected by CITES Appendix II. China is the center for Cypripedium diversity, being home to two-thirds of the world’s Cypripedium species, with a further centralization in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, areas experiencing rapid habitat change.

The Artist’s Story: Jee-Yeon Koo

I’ve been a fine artist and teacher in Korea for many years, specializing in flowers in the eastern style of painting, using traditional materials and techniques. As principal art director for the national project for illustrating rare and endangered Korean plants sponsored by the Korea National Arboretum, I have painted many rare Korean plants. I was interested in Cypripedium japonicum because it is the most important endangered plant in Korea. My technique consists of many layers of dry brush watercolors.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Begonia, Watercolor by Lizzie Sanders, UK

Begonia samhaensis

Listing: Endangered, IUCN Red List

The Plant’s Story

The isolated archipelago of Socotra lies in the Indian Ocean about 200 miles southeast of mainland Yemen. There are four islands in the group, Socotra, by far the largest, Abd al Kuri, Samha, and Darsa, surrounded by coral reefs profuse in marine diversity. Its tropical flora is one of the richest and best preserved in the world, with over 850 flowering plant species, of which some 300 are found nowhere else. At low altitudes its strange, otherworldly landscape is dominated by stem succulents along with dense woodlands. At higher altitudes, micro-niches among its jagged peaks support species such as Begonia, thriving in crevices, sustained by moisture from monsoon mists. In 2008 the archipelago was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and about 75% of its lands are in national parks and sanctuaries under protection of the Yemeni Conservation and Development Authority. Begonia samhaensis is found only in the northwest part of Samha’s high plateau, on sheltered vertical limestone cliffs above 2,000’ in elevation. Known from only 3 locations, its total population is estimated at fewer than 1000 plants.

The Artist’s Story: Lizzie Sanders

I first became interested in plants from Socotra some 10 years ago. I was taking classes at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh and as a result met Dr. Tony Miller and his assistant Mark Hughes, who at that time were involved in a conservation program for the sustainable development of Socotra. The Paintings I made at that time included Begonia socotrana and the newly described Begonia samhaensis. My painting, the first ever of this plant, is now in the RBGE collection. Fast forward to 2008 and Losing Paradise? I had first thought of painting an endangered Scottish plant, but these proved elusive and generally inaccessible. Talking to botanists at RBGE, where I am now teaching, the flora of Socotra was suggested. Begonia samhaensis is one of RBGE’s ‘star’ introductions and together with the other flora of Socotra is under considerable threat.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Atamasco Lily, Gouache & Colored Pencil by Julie Martinez, US

Zephyranthes atamasca

Listings: Endangered, Maryland; Threatened, Florida

The Plant’s Story

Atamasco lily was one of the first North American flowers encountered by the colonists of Jamestown. At the edges of its historic range, it is at risk, although in some states it is quite common. Atamasco lilies enjoy a habitat of moisture-prone regions bordering wetlands, the edges of flat forestlands, and moist meadows. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Bulbs in the amaryllis family, as this lily was originally described by Linnaeus in 1753, contain chemical compounds being studied for their promising anti-cancer properties.

The Artist’s Story: Julie Martinez

During the winter, my husband and I live in the midst of the Ocala National Forest in central Florida. One morning I noticed occasional clumps of delicate white flowers along the roadside. After identifying them in our guidebooks, I learned they were a threatened species in Florida. I wanted to capture them in a painting and immediately started working on not only painting the flower but all aspects of the plant including the bulb, bud, pollen, seedpod and seeds.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Painted Trillium, Mixed Media by Anne Marie Carney, US

Trillium undulatum

Listings: Endangered, Michigan, Ohio; Threatened, Kentucky

The Plant’s Story

Painted trillium is a rare and delicate spring woodland wildflower. Its range extends from eastern Canada southward through the Smoky Mountains. They like cool, moist, acidic woodlands. The most well-known trillium, Trillium grandiflorum, is a sure sign of spring, and can often be seen carpeting moist deciduous florest floors both on hillsides and in lowlands in large numbers. The painted trillium is more secretive, seen near the base of large deciduous trees or tucked into rock-strewn nooks.

The Artist’s Story: Anne Marie Carney

Growing up in Ontario, Canada there was an abundance of Trillium grandiflorum and Trillium erectum. However, I never saw the elusive Trillium undulatum. Finding an informative website called Asheville Natural, I called Fiona Dudley its creator. The website is a guide to native wildflowers and other aspects of the natural world in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Fiona helped me to find all the trilliums along a hiking trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Asheville, NC. In the studio, after an indepth rendering in graphite pencil on watercolor paper, I used fine pen and ink pens and colored pencil to complete the piece.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Fuzzywuzzy Airplant, Colored Pencil by Karen Coleman, US

Tillandsia pruinosa

Listing: Endangered, Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act

The Plant’s Story

This member of the pineapple family lives attached to branches of trees in hardwood swamps and cypress forests. Tillandsia pruinosa’s tentacle-like leaves emerge from a swollen, bulbous base and are covered with dense, silvery hairs; thus its common name, fuzzywuzzy airplant. In the United States, its range is limited to Lee and Collier Counties in Big Cypress National Preserve and nearby areas. The “river of grass” of the southeastern Everglades gradually gives way to rising elevations, which support the cypress swamps, hammocks, mangroves, and prairie habitats of Big Cypress. Nourishing a variety of unique plant and animal life, the diminutive Tillandsia pruinosa’s existence depends on the continued protection of these special areas. In spite of the great size of the preserve, non-native species penetrate its deepest coves. Its most recent intruder is a Mexican weevil whose larvae tunnel through the base of bromeliads decimating bromeliad populations.

The Artist’s Story: Karen Coleman

In January 2006, my husband and I joined a group from the Audubon Naturalist Society on a nature trip to the Florida Everglades. I was intrigued by the name and description of the fuzzwuzzy airplant. I fell in love with the fuzzywuzzy. I made a quick sketch and took lots of photos in order to do a finished work when I returned home. I completed the piece in colored pencil in 2008.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Lakeside Daisy, Watercolor by Dianne McElwain, US

Tetraneuris herbacea

Listings: Threatened, Federal Endangered Species Act; Endangered, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan; Threatened, Ontario, Canada

The Plant’s Story

Historically found in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, it is now estimated about 95% of the world’s remaining population of lakeside daisy makes its home in the Great Lakes region of Ontario, Canada. It favors limestone areas with good drainage that dry out quickly, called “alvar” communities. The lakeside daisy has been affected mainly by quarrying, but also by other forms of development, human foot traffic, and foraging by animals. In Ohio, the property containing what was believed to be the last naturally occurring US population of the daisy was purchased in 1989. These 19 acres in the middle of active quarry lands form the Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve. Golden daisies carpet its open sunny landscape in May.

The Artist’s Story: Dianne McElwain

I found this particular group of lakeside daisies at the Ohio Governor’s Garden in Columbus, Ohio. I arrived at the Governor’s Garden in late April, 2008, just when the daisies were beginning to bud. When I returned in May, I found the flowers all dropped to the ground and the stems twisted, because they follow the movement of the sun. They were very artistic looking and that’s when I decided to paint the entire plant in its habitat. First I did very detailed drawings from life of the flowers and leaves. Then I did color studies of the flowers. The final painting is done in watercolor.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Stenogyne, Colored Pencil by Wendy Hollender, US

Stenogyne kauaulaensis

Listing: Newly described, not yet listed, Using IUCN criteria it is critically endangered.

The Plant’s Story

Recently a new species of Hawaiian mint in the endemic genus, Stenogyne was found within the steep, rugged mountains of West Maui, Hawaii. This extremely rare species is known from only 15 naturally occurring individuals and easily falls into the IUCN Critically Endangered (CR) Red List category which designates it as facing the highest risk of extinction in the wild. - Courtesy of Ken Wood, Field Researcher and Conservation Biologist, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii.

The Artist’s Story: Wendy Hollender

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work on endangered and newly discovered plants at the same time. This drawing started in the field using colored pencils on hot pressed watercolor paper. The beauty of working with colored pencils is that the materials needed are simple and few. With colored pencils, there is virtually no set-up or clean-up, no time spent preparing a palette and mixing colors, no time waiting for colors to dry. With a small case of no more than twenty or so pencils, a small plastic ruler, an eraser, a battery-operated pencil sharpener, magnifying glass, and spiral pad of paper – all of which easily fit into a small backpack, I go anywhere in the world and create detailed colorful botanical drawings!

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Royal Catchfly, Watercolor by Heeyoung Kim, US

Silene regia

Listings: Possibly Extirpated, Tennessee; Endangered, Illinois, Kentucky

The Plant's Story
America’s Midwestern prairie has steadily declined during the last two hundred years, and now only fragments of the once expansive ecosystem remain. Some of North America’s most endangered plants and animals are prairie and grassland species. One of these is the royal catchfly, so named because it literally catches insects in the sticky base of the flower. Although appearing throughout the Midwest, its numbers are declining due to habitat alterations, picking and digging. Missouri is the only state with substantial populations remaining.

The Artist’s Story: Heeyoung Kim

I was introduced to this beautiful, rare species in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Dixon Prairie in August 2007. My eyes were drawn to the red royal catchfly among hundreds of wildflowers dancing in the prairie garden. I did detailed pencil sketches and took notes about subtle changes as time passed. Since I live very close to the Garden I often go there with my sketchbook and camera. Based on my sketches I could compose the whole life cycle of the plant from buds to fruits.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Yellow Pitcher Plant, Watercolor by Joan Geyer, US

Sarracenia flava

Listings: CITES Appendix II; Extremely Rare, Division of Natural Heritage, Virginia

The Plant’s Story

Pitcher plants are carnivorous, luring insects into their hollow tubes (leaves) with nectar and fragrance, leading them to drown in the liquid in the tube. Insects, once trapped, are digested by enzymes and bacteria. Since the plants grow in areas with few nutrients in the soil, it is important to their survival to digest bugs! This yellow pitcher plant can be found throughout the southeast in bogs and other acidic wetlands. Threats are mainly due to over-collecting for the horticultural trade and to hydrological alterations for agriculture, urban development, and roads. The State of Virginia’s Department of Transportation seeks out appropriate habitat along roadways to serve as homes to rare plant communities. Once suitable habitat areas are found a group of endangered wetland plants, including yellow pitcher plants are introduced to recreate the bog plant community. This project established 500 yellow pitcher plants grown from seed by the Meadowview Biological Research Station in Woodford, Virginia.

The Artist’s Story: Joan Geyer

Milledgeville, once Georgia’s capitol, sits in the center of the state. One of its attractions is the Lockerly Arboretum. One April day the head gardener led me across a small bridge to an island in the middle of a large pond. Here, at the sunny shoreline, masses of bright yellow blooms rose above amazing foliage – my first encounter with the Golden Trumpet! I have returned to the tiny island many times to study this fascinating species.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Bog Asphodel, Watercolor by Robin A. Jess, US

Narthecium americanum

Listing: Endangered, New Jersey, North Carolina (believed extirpated in NC)

The Plant’s Story

Bog asphodel is an endangered lily that grows about a foot high. Its habitat is very limited and specific. It prefers the edge of slow-moving water that may cover the base of the plant intermittently. Extended periods of flooding or drought caused by disruptions in hydrology due to development are its main threat, although water patterns are also compromised by beaver dams and cranberry cultivation.

The Artist’s Story: Robin A. Jess

I have been interested in flora of the New Jersey Pine Barrens for over 30 years and in the early 1990s, I produced a series of 40 paintings of Pine Barrens plants. I first saw bog asphodel at Webb’s Mill Bog in the Pine Barrens. One hot July day, I saw shimmering in the heat rays across the bog, a small but bright mass of yellow. I found a few plants nearer to me, allowing closer observation. I photographed the plant and made some color notes. Between my sketches, slides and several visits to the New York Botanical Garden herbarium, where I studied pressed specimens, I produced this painting.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Wood Lily, Watercolor by Carol E. Hamilton, US

Lilium philadelphicum var. philadelphicum pterourus glaucus

Listings: Endangered, Extirpated, Maryland; Endangered, Tennessee

The Plant’s Story

There are two varieties of the North American wood lily, one of more western distribution and one of more eastern and northern distribution. The western variety, Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum is fairly common, however populations of the eastern variety have fallen, leading to its listing as endangered in two states, and threatened in several others. Wood lilies are usually found in meadows or along edges of forests. Their decrease has occurred in tandem with the increase in white-tailed deer and human populations, the former grazing on them, the latter picking them or digging them up, and converting their habitat to housing and other developments. Some tribes of Native Americans used the wood lily for food, eating the bulbs as potatoes are eaten today. The University of Michigan maintains an on-line database of Native American Ethnobotany which was begun in the 1970s.

The Artist’s Story: Carol E. Hamilton

The structure and color of the wood lily are outstanding and it is little wonder that it attracts both pollinators and predators. Only after I have sufficient understanding of the species, can I accurately depict my subjects. I take photographs and make sketches while studying a plant in the field. I wanted to share the flower’s vibrant color and graceful shape, and to draw the viewer into the painting by following the flight of the butterflies into the lilies. The challenge is to put the knowledge of the plant and the glory of its beauty on paper for the viewer.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Hawaii Tree Cotton, Pen and Ink by Lesley Randall, US

Kokia drynarioides

Listing: Endangered, Federal Endangered Species Act

The Plant’s Story

Kokia drynarioides is a beautiful tree with large red flowers, found only on the island of Hawaii. It is nearly extinct in the wild, formerly occurring in dry forests on lava fields in the North Kona District. Its population declined through the last century primarily due to cattle and goats browsing on the mature trees and grazing any seedlings that managed to sprout. Kokia seeds are eaten by roof rats that arrived in the 1800s with the ability to climb trees. By the 1980s introduced fountaingrass began to cover the formerly bare lava fields, inhibiting regeneration of the Kokia and other native plants and increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires. Hawaii has been severely affected by invasive aliens. The National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Hawaii Forest Industry Association, and the Nahelehele Dryland Forest Working Group have made progress in outplanting and fostering K. drynarioides at the Ka’upulehu Preserve in North Kona.

The Artist’s Story: Lesley Randall

The pen and ink technique I use is the traditional form for scientific botanical illustration. Pen and ink allows one to show very fine details that aid in describing a species or in identifying one. Accuracy is of prime importance, but I try to create a piece of beauty as well. I use both the stipple and cross-hatch styles for shading. Once I have completed my pencil sketches, I transfer the drawing to illustration board using tracing paper. First I draw all the outlines in ink, then detail each piece of the drawing.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Small Whorled Pagonia, Watercolor by Beverly Simone, US

Isotria medeoloides

Listings: Threatened, Federal Endangered Species Act; Endangered in 17 States; Endangered, Canada

The Plant’s Story

Although widely distributed in the eastern US, the small whorled pagonia is considered imperiled throughout its range and has disappeared from several states where it historically occurred. Since its colonies tend to be small, an entire site can be lost with the construction of one rural home. In addition to residential and commercial development, some logging practices, and off-road vehicle damage are its main threats. Ranging from Canada south to Georgia, about 80% of Isotria medeoloides’s population occurs in New Hampshire and Maine. There has been no sign of it in recent history in New York, Maryland, Missouri, and Vermont. Thanks to federal and other funding sources, considerable information has been gathered on the status and life history of the small whorled pagonia by groups such as the New England Wild Flower Society. Volunteers collect data and monitor rare plants in the field, remove invasive species, perform plant surveys, and work to raise awareness of rare plants.

The Artist’s Story: Beverly Simone

David VanLuven, Hudson River Estuary Landscape Director of The Nature Conservancy was kind enough to put me in touch with Sara Cairns, Ph.D. Sara, Data Manager and Biologist for the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau in Concord.  She has done extensive research on Isotria medeoloides, and not only generously shared her knowledge and photos, but graciously answered my many questions. With her help, I was able to bring my small whorled pagonia painting “alive”.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Louisiana Quillwort, Watercolor by Lee McCaffree, US

Isoetes louisianensis
Listing: Endangered, Federal Endangered Species Act

The Plant’s Story

Quillworts are considered to be descendents of very ancient plants. They are aquatic plants that reproduce by spores located at the base of the leaves. Louisiana quillwort’s habitat is sand and gravel bars along backwater stream banks in woodlands in a few sites in Louisiana and Mississippi. Threats to their survival are many, but they all result in altered stream quality and dynamics. Feral hogs, beaver dams, timber harvests, sand and gravel mining, off road vehicles, roads, and stream dredging and channeling are the culprits. The plant was federally listed as endangered in 1996.

The Artist’s Story: Lee McCaffree

I became a volunteer at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Houston and worked with native plants. Meanwhile I had started to create a series of threatened and endangered plant paintings for an exhibit at the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK. I went to several sites in the wild to photograph and sketch. I painted at Mercer during the time they were establishing the Endangered Species Garden, which has become an important showplace for many endangered and threatened plants. Mercer is the primary custodian of this plant for the Center for Plant Conservation. Mercer’s conservation program cultivated 70 quillworts rescued by the Louisiana Natural Heritage Office in 2002. They have been successfully propagated and now number over 600. When the series was complete, my “Plants in Peril” paintings helped promote the Endangered Species Garden.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Goldenseal, Watercolor by Gillian Harris, US

Hydrastis canadensis
Listings: CITES Appendix II; Endangered, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersy, Vermont

The Plant’ Story

Once abundant in the forests of the eastern US, Goldenseal has long been collected for its medicinal properties and is still sold as an herbal remedy. As early as the 1880s, over-collecting and loss of woodland habitat led to some concern over the plant’s survival. It wasn’t until the 1990s that it began to be listed by some states as an endangered species. Pressures on plants collected for sale, such as mosses, ferns, ginseng and goldenseal are contributing to their dwindling numbers. Added to this, goldenseal’s forest habitat has been fragmented from development of all types.

The Artist’s Story: Gillian Harris

Goldenseal, native to my area of southern Indiana, grows readily in the woodland shade garden here, spreading via its yellow-orange rhizomes. I now have a small patch that has expanded from a single rescued plant I bought at an Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society sale. I chose to feature it in the fruiting stage, when its leaves are fully expanded and the habit is more evident. I also wanted to include the root, which is beautiful in its own right and possesses the alkaloids that have made this plant a widely-collected medicinal herb. I rinsed the soil from the root and took several photographs of it before replanting it in my garden.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Hibiscus, Colored Pencil by Wendy Hollender, US

Hibiscadelphus distans, Hibiscus brackenridgei, H. kiokio ssp.saintjohnianus, H. clayi
Listings: Endangered, Federal Endangered Species Act, Hibiscus clayi, H. brackenridgei, and Hibiscadelphus distans; Species of concern, Federal Endangered species Act, Hibiscus kokio ssp. Saintjohnianus

The Plant’s Story

Hawaii is home to some of the most beautiful native members of the cotton family (Malvaceae). The ones pictured here are also some of the most endangered. Hibiscus clayi, (lower left) one of Kauai’s rarest. H. brackenridgei, (upper right) is uncommon but found throughout the archipelago. H. kokio ssp. Saintjohnianus (lower right) is a beautiful yellowish orange rarity known only from a few locations in northwestern Kauai. Hibiscadelphus distans (upper left) is an endangered cousin with a tiny population in Kauai’s spectacular Waimea Canyon. All these rare native flowering shrubs are struggling in the wild, but thrive in the living collections of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. (courtesy of Dr. David Burney, Director of Conservation, Living Collections and Horticulture NTBG)

The Artist’s Story: Wendy Hollender

In February of 2008 I spent a month in Hawaii. While there I hoped to work on a series on endangered plants for consideration in this exhibition. I spent a week doing field sketches of these and other endangered plants and began these four drawings, which I completed back in New York.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Large Witch Alder, Watercolor by Rose Pellicano, US

Fothergilla major
Listing: Threatened, Tennessee, Georgia

The Plant’s Story

Fothergilla major is a rare shrub of the southern Appalachians, favoring well-drained acid soils in mountain woods. In the wild, although it has a pretty broad range, it is not common anywhere, being sparsely dispersed. Its bottlebrush-like flowers are composed of long yellow stamens with long filaments. Its fragrance and autumn color add to the visual interest of the spring flowers. Dr. Fothergill, physician, naturalist, and philanthropist, had a garden in Essex, England, in which he grew “a variety of most curious plants”, according to Linnaeus, who named this genus after him.

The Artist’s Story: Rose Pellicano

Although I had never seen Fothergilla major, in my research on endangered plants I found that a specimen grew at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I’ve been working with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for ten years, as one of the artists in its Florilegium project. Established in 2000, the Florilegium is a project to document Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s living collections through botanical art. Artists from around the country have contributed 175 artworks to the project.

More of the plant’s story and the artist’s story can be found in the exhibit catalog, available at the exhibition venues or online from the ASBA.

Links to other Florilegium projects: Chelsea Physic Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Australia, Filoli, Woodside, CA and Highgrove Estate of HRH Prince of Wales