History & People

How Plants Are Used in Centuries-old “Weather Magic” Practices on Islands in the Southwestern Pacific Nation of Vanuatu

Posted in History & People, Plant Science

Together with a group of colleagues in the United States and in Vanuatu, we recently published a study on how plants are used in “weather ... Read More

Honoring Sarah Harlow During National Library Week

Posted in History & People

Born October 20th,1957 in Florida, Orange County, New York, Sarah Havens Harlow received her Bachelor of Science in Botany at Wellesley College in 1891 and ... Read More

The First Children’s Gardening Book—in Latin

Posted in History & People, Inside our Collections

The Mertz Library recently acquired a 1545 edition of a children’s book, De Re Hortensi Libellus. Originally published in 1535, it is thought to be ... Read More

Meet Your Tour Guide: Women in Garden Design Tour

Posted in History & People

Ellen Shipman, Beatrix Farrand, and Marian Coffin—groundbreakers—proved that it’s not a man’s world out in the garden.” Read More

Plants as Liberation: Joshua Bennett

Posted in History & People, Videos

Our Plants as Liberation Series continues this #BlackHistoryMonth with an interview featuring renowned poet Joshua Bennett, whose "The Bond of Live Things Everywhere" poetry exhibit ... Read More

NYBG Holiday Celebrations Through the Years

Posted in History & People

The holidays are a special time at NYBG. The magic of the season spreads as frost covers the landscape and the falling snow makes the ... Read More

Cowpeas and the African Diaspora: What Can Natural History Collections Add?

Posted in History & People, Plant Science

Cowpeas, which belong to the legume family of plants, are an annual crop—planted anew from seed each year—grown throughout much of the world. Read More

Sharing the Craft of Fire Cider

Posted in History & People

As this fall season comes to an end, I’m reflecting on the wonderful time we had at the first annual Fire Cider Workshop curated by ... Read More

Councilmember Amanda Farías Takes Part in Urban Advantage Family Science Day

Posted in History & People

NYBG had the pleasure of a visit from Councilmember Amanda Farías for our Urban Advantage (UA) Family Science Day on Sunday, October 30, in our ... Read More

Cowpeas and the African Diaspora, Part Two: A Life-Giving Crop

Posted in History & People, Plant Science

Genetic, historical, and archeological evidence suggests that cowpeas were domesticated in the Sahelian region of West Africa, and perhaps also in East Africa, several thousand ... Read More