Henry Foundation for Botanical Research

Pennsylvania, United States

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The Henry Foundation for Botanical Research in Pennsylvania was established in 1948 by Mary Gibson Henry, a pioneering botanist and plant explorer.

She dedicated her life's work to collecting, studying, and preserving North American native plants, especially from the southeastern United States, as well as exploring remote regions across the country. Her passion for native flora was driven by her concern for environmental preservation and the loss of natural habitats.

She purchased a farm in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, where she developed a rugged, naturalistic garden that showcased hundreds of native plants and served as a living laboratory for botany and horticulture. Henry conducted significant botanical expeditions, including a notable 1931 trip to British Columbia with her children, collecting specimens and mapping new regions, greatly contributing to botanical science.

Her extensive herbarium, nearly 8,000 specimens, is housed at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, and her work includes the creation of a diverse collection that continues to support research and education. She was an early conservationist, advocating for native plant preservation and ecological awareness, and her legacy endures through the research foundation and the botanical garden she created, which remains open to the public today.