Timeless Treasures: Native Plants of Arkansas Display and Gallery Talk at Crystal Bridges

University of Arkansas Herbarium

This specimen of Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), a native wildflower collected in northeastern Arkansas by botanist George W. Letterman in 1884, is one of four native plants featured in the display.

Plant specimens from the U of A Herbarium are featured in a new display at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, titled Timeless Treasures: Native Plants of Arkansas, on view now through May 23.

Combining 19nth century illustrations from the museum's botanical rare book collection with preserved plant specimens from the herbarium, this display explores how the disciplines of art and science come together to celebrate the wonder of nature. In the same way the artist draws each petal with acute detail, the botanist records and displays each specimen with delicate care. Samantha Best, outdoor interpretation specialist at Crystal Bridges, notes "that both are recording nature as they experience it, ensuring its story will be preserved for future generations."

Four of the herbarium's native plant specimens are featured in the display: Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum), Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) and Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida). The plants were collected between 1884 and 1970 by researchers who worked in Arkansas during their careers, including George W. Letterman, a well-known botanist who lived alone in a small cabin and spent much of his time in the woods searching for rare plants, and Dr. Dwight M. Moore, U of A professor and herbarium director (1925-1950) who served as chair of the Biology Department during his tenure at the university.

The display encourages visitors to walk the grounds of the museum to find these native plants flowering along the trails and in the gardens. It also serves as a collection connection to the museum's exhibition Cross Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church, and our Contemporary Moment, open through March 21.

A gallery talk about the display will be held at 1 p.m. April 23 between Jennifer Ogle, collections manager of the U of A Herbarium; Samantha Best, outdoor interpretation specialist at Crystal Bridges; and Kariah Brust, reference assistant at Crystal Bridges Library. The talk is part of the Nature Weekends at Crystal Bridges series.