Who is known as the father of botany?
Many years ago in the 1700s Carl Linnaeus, the “Father of Botany”, was collecting plants to add to his great collection. This collection was important as it helped him compare and classify the plants of the world following his new system. Like scientists everywhere, even today, he relied on colleagues (people in his field) and acquaintances and friends to help him find specimens of plants wherever they went. You may have heard of one of Linnaeus’ young friends already, Peter Kalm. Peter Kalm was the fellow who came here to North America to collect plants. The Mountain Laurel in our Schoolyard Habitat, the very State Flower of Connecticut, is named after him! Kalmia latifolia is the botanical name. Peter respected Linnaeus and worked to help him complete his great project. On the trip that this story is about Peter was going to Russia to the great center of St Petersburg. He was going there with another supporter of Linnaeus, the baronet Sten Carl Bielke, who had family business to atte
