UTK Herbarium - TENN

Happy Halloween!!

Our next Specimens and Scones is just around the corner!

Please join us November 13th from 3:00–5:00 PM for an open house where guests can enjoy coffee, tea, and scones while learning about our exciting work here at the TENN Herbarium!

Definitely a fan favorite!! Similar to our red-flowered Tennessee native, Aquilegia canadensis.

Don't miss seeing this witchy native species in flower!

Need an extra boost to get through the rest of the week? Try our native Yaupon!

The iconic Saguaro!!

Bird-of-Paradise: a favorite houseplant for many! Bring tropical charm into your living room, no squawking or feathers required!

🌼 State flower of the week!!🌼

Myosotis alpestris (Boraginaceae)

Like many members of the borage family, M. alpestris is covered in stiff hairs that can feel rough to the touch. These hairs, sometimes fortified with silica or calcium, act as a natural defense and can cause skin irritation.

Don't forget to stop by at the UT Herbarium next week for some delicious scones and engaging conversation! We will be giving tours of the herbarium while highlighting many of our amazing specimens!

Fungi ✅
Flowers✅
Moss ✅
Scones ✅
Biologists ✅

The common name says it all!

Alabama’s state flower wasn’t always the camellia.
Originally it was goldenrod, a native wildflower!

In the 1950s it was swapped for camellia, but by the 1990s Alabama added the oak-leaf hydrangea as its State Wildflower to honor native plants.

This is no bird! The White Egret Orchid uses its "unique" shape to attract pollinators. 🐞 🦋 🐝

The partridge pea is a pollinator favorite, even though its flowers don’t produce nectar! Instead, nectar comes from special glands called extrafloral nectaries, attracting bees and beneficial insects alike.
Photo courtesy of Thomas G. Barnes

Would the Bee Orchid fool you? 🐝

It’s tomato season! 🍅

Derived from a single species native to South America, Solanum lycopersicum has spread worldwide and become a favorite food for many. But this beloved fruit wasn’t always celebrated, Its toxic relatives and a few “deadly dinners” gave it a bad reputation!

Pawpaw season is here!!!

Asimina triloba, or pawpaw, is a small tree in the custard-apple family (Annonaceae). These tropical-tasting fruits grow across the eastern U.S.

Be sure to get out and enjoy them while you can!

Pucker up for Psychotria!

We're excited to announce this year's dates for our #Specimens & Scones events! The first date is Wednesday, October 1st, and the second is Thursday, November 13th, from 3 to 5 p.m. Please join us to learn what our #Herbarium offers while enjoying coffee, tea, and delicious scones! See you there!

Have you ever seen this plant before?

No squinting necessary to see the similarity!

Fall semester is here, and we couldn’t be happier to have our students back in action! We’re looking forward to another great semester filled with plants, people, and exciting new projects!

YouTube video by UT Herbarium Come join us at UT for EEB 466 Immersions in Collections Research

Check out this great video www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6-x... that @utknoxville.bsky.social graduate Cruz Gouveia put together about our US National Science Foundation funded May mini-term class (EEB 466 - Immersion in Collections Research)!

Of course I had to show my boyfriend all my new stickers 🙂‍↕️ #botany2025

Stop by the Society of Herbarium Curators booth at #Botany2025 to learn more about the society and to get some free stickers to show your support for herbaria! Not a member, join us using this link. www.herbariumcurators.org/membership/

Peak bloom time for rhododendrons is in late June! The best place to see rhododendron blooms in Tennessee is Roan Mountain State Park. The park is home to the worlk’s largest natural rhododendron garden, streatching over an increadible 600 acres!
Photo curtesy of Dennis D. Horn.

Monarch caterpillars eat and rely on milkweed as a host species. In order to combat the declining populations of both milkweed and Monarch butterflies, TDOT is giving away free milkweed seeds.

Get your free seeds here: tnpollinators.org/milkweed/
Photo courtesy of Thomas G. Barnes.

Did you know violets have a summer secret? While spring is the peak season for violet blooms, many species, like Viola sororia, will continue flowering through the summer in a surprising way. They produce cleistogamous flowers: small, closed blossoms that self-pollinate without ever opening.

Fleischmannia incarnata, also known as Pink Slender-Thoroughwort, is part of the Asteraceae family. This specimen was collected by Elaine Walker on August 23rd, 2023. It was located in Hawkins County, Tennessee. In terms of habitat, this species prefers moist soils and low, open fields.

Callicarpa americana, also known as the American Beauty-Berry, is part of the Lamiaceae family. This specimen was collected by V.E. McNeilus on August 9th, 1990. It was located on Jones Bluff in Knox County, Tennessee. In terms of habitat, this species prefers open meadows, woodlands and streams.