Meet the Julia Child of orchids
Laelia anceps 'Rebecca T. Northen' from the Smithsonian Gardens orchid collection
American biologist Rebecca Northen did for orchids what Julia Child did for French cooking. Northen traveled the world studying and collecting the plants, and her 1950 book "Home Orchid Growing" demystified the plants for a general audience. Seventy years later, it is still one of the best-known reference books on how to cultivate orchids.
The orchid Laelia anceps 'Rebecca T. Northen' is named in her honor.
Rebecca Northen. Courtesy Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Biographical Information Vertical File
Northen’s story is included in “Orchids: Hidden Stories of Groundbreaking Women,” the 26th annual orchid exhibition by Smithsonian Gardens and the U.S. Botanic Garden. Featuring hundreds of varieties of orchids, the exhibition also shares how women have played many roles in the quest to discover, document and conserve orchids.
See it in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery through April 24. You can also explore the exhibition online.