Theodore Payne
Theodore Payne (June 19, 1872 - May 6, 1963), was an
Biography
Payne was born at Manor Farm,
California
In June 1893 Payne completed his contract and traveled to the United States. He arrived in New York, traveled to Chicago where he visited the
In 1898, Payne left the employment of Madame Modjeska for a position with the Germain Seed Company. He remained with this firm for five years, becoming head of the seed department. He started his own business in 1903 when he purchased the Evans Nursery in Downtown Los Angeles. California native wildflower seeds and bulbs and native plants were the specialty of his plant nursery business. His nursery location moved several times before settling permanently on Los Feliz Boulevard in Atwater Village in 1923, a few miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The main nursery building was designed by architect Myron Hunt.[1]
Even in the early years of the 20th century, native
In 1915 he laid out and planted 262 species in a 5-acre (20,000 m2) wild garden in
He assisted Susan Bixby Bryant in 1927 with the siting and design of the original
By the time he retired in 1958, Payne had introduced over 430 species of native plants to the public through his nursery. Theodore Payne died on May 6, 1963.[1]
Organizations
He was a founding member of the California Association of Nurserymen—CAN, the Wild Flower Club, the Nature Club, and other horticultural organizations. He was a member of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, including serving as president of the organization. He was a member of many other local horticultural, scientific, and social organizations.
The
The Foundation promotes the understanding and preservation of California native flora by propagating plants for use by the general public, through educational programs related to the horticulture and botany of the flora, with the display of botanical art depicting the flora, among other programs. The Foundation hold Payne's business and personal papers, an archive that provides insight to the horticultural history of California.
- "Be a good Californian; be loyal to your own state and keep your landscape Californian, by planting trees from California." — Theodore Payne
See also
References
Bibliography
- "Life on the Modjeska Ranch in the Gay Nineties", by Theodore Payne, 1962.
- "Theodore Payne In His Own Words: a voice for California Native Plants", by Theodore Payne, Many Moons Press 2004.
- "Wildflowers of the Pacific Southweste", by Theodore Payne, 1939.