We rarely associate landscaping or gardening with our
Presidents. The one exception may of
course be Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson
spent most of his life researching and developing flowers and vegetables suited
for America. Much of his work can still be seen at his
home in Virginia.
However we certainly enjoy naming plants for our Presidents
and First Lady’s. Did you know?
- Two presidents have plants actually named for them: Washingtonia, a genus of fern palms and Jeffersonia, a genus of small herbaceous perennials
- Roses are commonly named in honor of past presidents: Abraham Lincoln has four roses named in his honor. Others honored by roses include: George Washington, John Kennedy, Herbert Hoover, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson and, Franklin Roosevelt.
- First Ladies also get involved in naming rights for roses. They include: Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Pat Nixon, Rosalyn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush.
- The other plants of choice in the presidential naming game are the rhododendron and azalea. Twenty-one cultivars of this group are named for either Presidents or First Ladies
All great trivia information for your upcoming President’s
Day celebration!
