Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, when women’s education was limited, many young ladies found a socially acceptable way to study science: through botany. Many women read botany books at home, and quite a few others took their interest to the field. Some became botanical illustrators, trekking through wild places to identify plants and making thousands of scientific discoveries. In 1757, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to formally publish a species name. In the United States alone, at least 1,500 women were actively engaged in botany pre-1900. Celebrate these pioneering women by exploring the stories of these five early female botanists.
Celebrate early female botanists this Women’s History Month
Give these women their flowers.