With support from the Breedlove-Dennis Award, UTK graduate student Sydney Baldwin is studying Clarkia gracilis to uncover how soil nutrients and pollinators influence pollen quality. #Botany #Pollination

Tennessee's first state botanist, Dr. Augustin Gattinger, helped establish what is now the UT Herbarium with a collection of more than 4,000 specimens. Today, the Herbarium houses over 710,000 specimens and continues his legacy of botanical discovery. #HerbariumHistory

Moss growing on caribou bones? In 1958, UT Herbarium Director A.J. Sharp collected this remarkable Splachnum specimen from a caribou carcass in Alaska. A fascinating reminder that nature is full of unexpected adaptations.

Symposium for Future Proofing Herbaria. Discussing specimen backlogs. Recommendation to prioritize, be creative, & build a collections club of volunteers to help. Also we found that #bryophytes & #lichens are over-represented & need our energy. doi.org/10.3897/nhcm... #botany2026

The state of herbarium specimen backlogs: Perspectives from bryophyte collections

An herbarium must have its specimens processed, identified and accessioned so that members of the botanical community can readily consult these materials. However, many herbaria struggle to keep up wi...

doi.org

Are you passionate about #naturalhistory #collections? Apply for our open position for the Herbarium Collections Manager @utkherbarium.bsky.social. We will start evaluating applications on Aug 17, so get your application in now. #Botany2026 #herbarium #jobs

Thanks to the Breedlove, Dennis Fund, UT graduate student Sophia Turner is exploring the hidden world of plant microbiomes. Her research on goldenrods investigates how fungi and other microbes shape plant health, helping us better understand the relationships that support resilient ecosystems.

After the 1934 fire destroyed the UT Herbarium, rebuilding the collection became a community effort. Led by Dr. Aaron "Jack" Sharp and many dedicated botanists, those efforts laid the foundation for the Herbarium we know today—and even helped inspire the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage.#Botany

Future scientists in action! Appalachian STEM Academy students explored the UTK Herbarium, examined plant specimens under the microscope, and met with researchers. Thanks to ORNL, Dr. Gautam Shirsekar, and Aaron Onufrak for a wonderful visit! #Botany #STEM #UTKHerbarium #ORNL

One fern. Thousands of miles. Countless questions. Thanks to the Breedlove, Dennis Fund, UT graduate student Dusty Prater is uncovering what shapes the distribution of the sensitive fern across North America. #StudentResearch #BreedloveDennisAward #Botany #UTHerbarium #UTK_EEB

Herbarium labels have come a long way—from handwritten notes to digitally created records. But their purpose remains the same: documenting the who, what, when, and where of every specimen so it can be used for research long into the future. #Botany #NaturalHistory #TENNHerbarium

127 years. One species. Countless stories. These two Niphidium crassifolium specimens show how botanical science has evolved through changing labels, mounting techniques, and plant classification. Herbaria preserve both plants and the history of their discovery.

Thanks to the Breedlove, Dennis Fund, UT graduate student Sydney Baldwin traveled to California's unique serpentine seeps to study how pollen quality influences plant reproduction. Her research is helping us better understand pollination, plant fitness, and evolution. #BreedloveDennisAward

From field to herbarium! Kids U: Flora Quest students toured the TENN Herbarium, played Herbarium Bingo, collected local plants, and created their own mini herbarium collections using the same techniques employed by botanists. We loved sharing the world of plant science! #KidsU #UTkHerbarium

Job Opening! Apply to join the the @utkherbarium.bsky.social as our new Herbarium Collections Manager. #jobopportunity #jobopening #jobsearch #herbaria #plants @utknoxville.bsky.social Full Position Posting & Application Instructions: fa-ewlq-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

In 1934, the UT Herbarium lost nearly 30,000 specimens in the Morrill Hall fire, including the historic collections of Dr. Augustin Gattinger. Thanks to Aaron "Jack" Sharp and support from other institutions, the collection has grown to approximately 710,000 specimens.

Attending #BOTANY2026? Order a shirt featuring rare SW moss & lichen species. @botsocamerica.bsky.social Order using the link below & pickup your shirt at the ABLS booth in Tucson, AZ, Aug 1-5, 2026. No shipping fees! www.customink.com/g/cqx0-00d2-... Deadline to order July 14, 2026 at 11:59PM ET

American Bryological and Lichenological Society Group Order Form - Sign Up Today!

Please pay directly online through Custom Ink. Shirts will be available for pickup at the ABLS booth at the BOTANY 2026 conference August 1-5, 2026 in Tucson, AZ. Shirt Details: 100% recycled materia...

customink.com

Thanks to the Breedlove, Dennis Fund, UT graduate student Tonika Birmley is studying how differences in chromosome number influence reproduction in the Appalachian wildflower Galax urceolata. Her research is helping us better understand plant evolution and conservation. #BreedloveDennisAward

Conducting plant research? The UT Herbarium supports researchers with more than 700,000 specimens, field and research equipment, and dedicated workspaces. Our collections include vascular plants, ferns, bryophytes, fungi, lichens, algae, and fruits and seeds.

Supported by the Breedlove, Dennis Fund, UT graduate student Ashlynn Hord sampled cottonwood populations across the Intermountain West to study introgression (gene flow through hybridization and backcrossing) and its potential role in climate resilience.

Every specimen has a story to tell—and every story begins with careful preparation. Our Curatorial Technicians carefully mount vascular plant specimens using archival materials, creating lasting scientific records that will support research for generations to come.

We had a wonderful time visiting the UT Gardens Summer Camp! Campers learned about herbaria, examined preserved plant specimens, and created their own mini herbarium sheets using flowers from the gardens. We hope we inspired a few future botanists!

Thanks to the Breedlove, Dennis Fund, UT graduate student Cait Barnes studied the fungal partnerships that help trees survive and thrive. Her research on dual-mycorrhizal associations is expanding our understanding of forest ecology from the ground up.

Every specimen has a story to tell. This Phacelia bipinnatifida specimen was collected more than 100 years ago, yet traces of its blue flower pigmentation remain visible today, a testament to the value of careful preservation and collections care. #UTHerbarium #EverySpecimenHasAStory #Botany

This summer, students from UT's Summer Field Botany course visited the herbarium for a behind-the-scenes tour of the collection. From plant identification to climate change research, herbarium specimens are valuable records of biodiversity through time

Supported by the Breedlove-Dennis Fund, UT graduate student Guido A. Herrera conducted field research in Colombia, studying how oil palm plantations and cattle ranching affect stream ecosystems. #UTHerbarium #GraduateResearch #ConservationScience

Now flowering in East Tennessee: Striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata). Herbarium specimens help researchers document when plants flower, providing valuable records that can be used to study changes in flowering times and species distributions over time. #UTHerbarium #NowFlowering #Phenology

Our Curatorial Technicians have been hard at work processing newly acquired bryophyte specimens this summer. The UT Herbarium houses more than 183,000 bryophyte specimens, making this collection an important resource for research, conservation, and education.

Supported by the Breedlove, Dennis Fund, UT graduate student Ella Segal collected tree seeds, soils, and mycorrhizal fungi across the eastern U.S. to study how plant-fungal partnerships may influence forest resilience in a changing climate. #UTHerbarium #ForestEcology #Conservation

Love plants? Know a rising 7th or 8th grader who does too? Our Flora Quest: Exploring Plant Diversity camp gives students a behind-the-scenes look at the UT Herbarium, greenhouse, and the fascinating world of plant science. Scholarships are available, reducing the cost to just $49. Spots are limited

Plants are critical to biodiversity and endangered species recovery, yet they have often been underrepresented in conservation policy discussions. We are excited to see growing national attention focused on plant conservation and recovery investment. Read more: www.agri-pulse.com/articles/247...