Tag Archives: South Africa

Burchell in Brazil

Posted on 17/08/2019 by The Garden History Blog

Two recent posts have looked at the plant collecting and travels of William Burchell in  St Helena and his more famous trek across South Africa.  Today’s looks at the rest of his long life and especially his long plant hunting … Continue reading →

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Burchell at the Cape

Posted on 06/07/2019 by The Garden History Blog

The last post looked at William Burchell, the son of a London nurseryman who after emigrating to St Helena in 1805, began the process of cataloguing its flora and fauna and setting up a botanic garden. Frustrated by the attitude … Continue reading →

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William Burchell and St Helena

Posted on 29/06/2019 by The Garden History Blog

St Helena is one of the most remote places on Earth, 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) east of Rio de Janeiro and  almost 2000 kilometres (1,210 miles) from the nearest bit of  the African coast.  It’s probably most famous for being Napoleon’s place of exile. … Continue reading →

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Welwitschia mirabilis: “the ugliest plant in creation”?

Posted on 20/08/2016 by The Garden History Blog

What a mouthful that is! Even worse when you realise it’s the Latin name of a bizarre plant ‘discovered’ by a man born in the Austrian Empire of Slovak origin, who worked for the Portuguese monarchy in one of their African … Continue reading →

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The further adventures of Francis Masson – the man with itchy feet

Posted on 02/07/2016 by The Garden History Blog

Last week’s post finished with Francis Masson returning to Kew in 1775 after a  successful plant collecting expedition to the Cape of Good Hope.  But he was clearly a man with itchy feet so the following year he was off again … Continue reading →

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