For Women’s History Month, a look at some trailblazers in American gardening and horticulture

Women have long been at the forefront of gardening, whether passing agricultural traditions from generation to generation, organizing garden clubs and beautification societies, or — in some cases — making significant contributions to science and landscape design. Here are several, in alphabetical order, who have left permanent marks on American horticultural history: JANE COLDEN In the 1750s, Colden became the first female American botanist. She is credited with naming and cataloging hundreds of native plants in the Hudson River Valley using Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus’ then-new binomial system of botanical nomenclature. Colden drew each of the plants she named, and compiled her detailed descriptions and illustrations into a manuscript, “Flora of New York.” BEATRIX FARRAND Known as the first lady of American landscape architecture, Farrand designed more than 100 gardens for private estates, public parks, college campuses, botanical gardens and even the White House’s East Garden during the Wilson presidency. CLAUDIA ‘LADY BIRD’ JOHNSON First lady from 1963 to 1969, Johnson was an environmentalist and early native plants proponent who advocated for preserving wild spaces.