New York Botanical Garden

Efforts by NYBG scientists to reconstruct the landscape of the city “Before New York” have been invited to join the Biennale Architettura 2025, curated by Carlo Ratti. This event held in Venice, Italy, showcases architectural solutions to contemporary societal, humanistic, and technological issues—and we’re thrilled that the work helmed by Dr. Eric W. Sanderson, VP for Urban Conservation, will be on view at this international exhibition.

There’ve been many considerations for how we can best mitigate the effects of climate change, but as NYBG’s Dr. Evelyn Beaury has found, one in particular stands out to also benefit biodiversity. In a new publication with expert co-authors in the botanical field, Beaury evaluates the effectiveness and biodiversity impacts of various proposed solutions to our climate crisis, including reforestation, bioenergy cropping, and afforestation. Learn what these processes entail, and how well they’re likely to work, in the latest from Plant Talk.

In recent #NYBGScience news, Graduate Fellow Simon Verlynde co-authored two new species of Aeranthes, in the orchid family—A. rhopalastra and A. rhytophora from the eastern escarpment forests of Madagascar. Both species were assessed as "Endangered" following the IUCN categories and criteria, and several plants are currently cultivated in shade houses for ex situ conservation (conservation efforts undertaken away from the plant's native environment).

On February 11, join us for an engaging lecture and discussion of Lynne Howarth-Gladston’s new book, "Marianne North: A Victorian Painter for the 21st Century." This lavishly illustrated book reassesses the work of botanical painter Marianne North (1830 to 1890), examining her unique approach to painting, her techniques, and her use of photography. Howarth-Gladston will delve into how North was both an unconventional botanical artist and a technically progressive figure, merging various artistic styles and methods from both scientific and aesthetic viewpoints.

Today marks the start of Black History Month, and at NYBG we’re highlighting the important botanical legacies of the African Diaspora—here at the Garden and beyond. Get to know some of the scientists, horticulturists, and gardeners throughout history who have been pioneering figures in plant science and agriculture, and learn about activists sharing the importance of Black contributions to our relationship with the natural world. We also invite you to look back at recent talks from NYBG that have illuminated the significant influences of Black foodways on the ways we eat in the Western Hemisphere. See what’s happening this February—online and here at the Garden: https://lnkd.in/eJ4nenXR Images: Vincent Edward Richards, NYBG Student Gardener, 1950 Vanilla planifolia, the vanilla orchid, first successfully hand-pollinated in the 1800s by horticulturist Edmond Albius—an enslaved child at the time on the island of Reunion Gwendolyn Yvonne “Penny” Blackman, NYBG’s expert bookbinder throughout the 1960s and ‘70s Thelma Perry, mycologist and entomologist

Since 2021, NYBG has partnered with the Coalición de Restauración Ecosistemas Santurcinos (CRES)—a Puerto Rico-based organization that works toward the restoration and conservation of ecosystems on the shores of the Santurce community, as well as other parts of the island. And in late 2024, NYBG staff returned to the Caribbean for their third year of volunteer work, tree planting, and community building. Come see how we’re sharing the beauty and joy of urban gardening and composting well beyond the Bronx.

For nearly 135 years the Garden has been growing up with the Bronx, a borough of diverse neighborhoods, historic resilience, and bright futures. On CBS Sunday Morning, join Ian Frazier—author of Paradise Bronx and a guest on our second season of the Plant People podcast, dropping in March—as he shares what makes this piece of New York City so inspiring. From Chazz Palminteri on Arthur Avenue to Fat Joe in the South Bronx, we’re proud to be a part of this community’s story, one that’s always adding new chapters!

2024 was a remarkable year for us here at NYBG, and we’re especially proud of all we accomplished in the lab and in the field! 🌿🔬 To quantify some of our plant science efforts, our scientists discovered 36 new plant species, collaborated on projects in 79 countries around the world, and digitized over 150,000 plant specimens in our Steere Herbarium. From Spain, to Colombia, to the islands of the South Pacific, we applied our knowledge to tackle the climate crisis with plant-based solutions, and participated in the world’s most significant biodiversity conferences, joining with colleagues from near and far to protect our planet. There’s just too much to cover here, so read the full recap here—and stay tuned for more as we hit the ground running in 2025.

We often show you some of the LARGEST books in the Mertz Library’s archives, but what about the tiniest? At just two inches wide and four inches tall, “Isagoges in rem herbariam” is an early work by Flemish anatomist and botanist Adrian Spigelius, who in 1606 published this book on how to assemble an herbarium. It includes the very first written instructions for preparing dried plant specimens, a practice which had only begun a few decades prior. Learn more about this perfectly petite piece of plant paraphernalia on Plant Talk.

The Winter Lecture Series kicks off next Thursday, and you don't want to miss this lineup! This year’s series brings together three illustrious garden practitioners—Bunny Williams, Jacqueline van der Kloet, and Cassie Banning—who have turned their passion for horticulture into diverse, thriving careers. Join Bunny Williams here in Ross Hall on Thursday, January 23, as she shares insights into her home and garden that she's maintained in Connecticut for the last 35 years.