Native Plants
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia
Bill (W.D.) (1913-1996) and Dolphia Bransford (1915-2015) moved from San Angelo to Kingsland, Texas in 1950. There they established the first fish camp in the area. A carpenter, Bill built small cabins and a larger building which served as a general store.Bill was interested in photography so he and Dolphia would set out in their camper taking pictures of wildflowers and scenery along the way. After plants were photographed, Dolphia researched them and recorded their botanical name, family and common name on each slide. The Bransfords would travel for two or three months at a time and eventually visited nearly every corner of the United States and Canada. They spent 40 years pursuing their favorite pastime and stopped only when Bill’s vision diminished.
At the beginning, Bill photographed plants mostly from a distance, often too far to see enough detail necessary to identify his subjects. Dolphia encouraged him to get close-ups of the plants so that they could be identified and so that their full beauty could be appreciated. Many times he would lie flat on the ground to get the perfect shot. His extra effort shows in the quality of his photographs.
Bill enjoyed presenting prints of his photographs in collections, displaying images of entire genera or families in a single frame. In one case, it took six years of effort to get the photograph of a single species necessary to complete one of these framed collections.
Wishing to find a suitable, permanent home for their work, Mr. and Mrs. Bransford began donating their slide collection to the National Wildflower Research Center in 1987 and were privileged to enjoy Mrs. Johnson’s company on several occasions. Over the years, countless thousands of visitors to this website have enjoyed the work and study of this devoted couple.
Today, the nearly 4500 native plant slides contributed to the Wildflower Center by Bill and Dolphia Bransford remain one of the largest image collections in the NPIN Image Gallery.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to developing the premier resource for native plant images in North America through continued growth of the Plant Image Gallery. You can help us achieve our mission ...to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants, and landscapes... by becoming a contributor.
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |
Anemone virginiana | Tall Thimbleweed Thimbleweed Tall Anemone | |
Anemone virginiana | Tall Thimbleweed Thimbleweed Tall Anemone | |
Antheropeas wallacei | Woolly Easterbonnets Woolly Daisy | |
Antheropeas wallacei | Woolly Easterbonnets Woolly Daisy | |
Antheropeas wallacei | Woolly Easterbonnets Woolly Daisy | |
Antheropeas wallacei | Woolly Easterbonnets Woolly Daisy | |
Apios americana | Groundnut Wild Potato Indian Potato | |
Apios americana | Groundnut Wild Potato Indian Potato | |
Apios americana | Groundnut Wild Potato Indian Potato | |
Apocynum androsaemifolium | Spreading Dogbane Bitterroot Flytrap Dogbane | |
Apocynum androsaemifolium | Spreading Dogbane Bitterroot Flytrap Dogbane | |
Apocynum androsaemifolium | Spreading Dogbane Bitterroot Flytrap Dogbane | |
Aphanostephus riddellii | Riddell's Dozedaisy Lazy Daisy | |
Aphanostephus riddellii | Riddell's Dozedaisy Lazy Daisy | |
Aphanostephus skirrhobasis | Lazy Daisy Arkansas Lazy Daisy Arkansas Doze-daisy | |
Aphanostephus skirrhobasis | Lazy Daisy Arkansas Lazy Daisy Arkansas Doze-daisy | |
Aphanostephus skirrhobasis | Lazy Daisy Arkansas Lazy Daisy Arkansas Doze-daisy | |
Aphanostephus skirrhobasis | Lazy Daisy Arkansas Lazy Daisy Arkansas Doze-daisy | |
Aphanostephus skirrhobasis | Lazy Daisy Arkansas Lazy Daisy Arkansas Doze-daisy | |
Aphanostephus skirrhobasis | Lazy Daisy Arkansas Lazy Daisy Arkansas Doze-daisy | |
Aphanostephus skirrhobasis | Lazy Daisy Arkansas Lazy Daisy Arkansas Doze-daisy | |
Aquilegia canadensis | Eastern Red Columbine Wild Red Columbine | |
Aquilegia canadensis | Eastern Red Columbine Wild Red Columbine | |
Aquilegia chrysantha | Golden Columbine Yellow Columbine Southwestern Yellow Columbine | |
Aquilegia chrysantha | Golden Columbine Yellow Columbine Southwestern Yellow Columbine | |
Aquilegia chrysantha | Golden Columbine Yellow Columbine Southwestern Yellow Columbine | |
Aquilegia coerulea | Colorado Blue Columbine Rocky Mountain Columbine | |
Aquilegia coerulea | Colorado Blue Columbine Rocky Mountain Columbine | |
Aquilegia coerulea | Colorado Blue Columbine Rocky Mountain Columbine | |
Aquilegia coerulea | Colorado Blue Columbine Rocky Mountain Columbine | |
Aquilegia elegantula | Western Red Columbine | |
Aquilegia elegantula | Western Red Columbine | |
Aquilegia eximia | Van Houtte's Columbine Serpentine Columbine | |
Aquilegia eximia | Van Houtte's Columbine Serpentine Columbine | |
Aquilegia eximia | Van Houtte's Columbine Serpentine Columbine | |
Aquilegia formosa | Western Columbine Crimson Columbine Scarlet Columbine Red Columbine | |
Aquilegia formosa | Western Columbine Crimson Columbine Scarlet Columbine Red Columbine | |
Aquilegia formosa | Western Columbine Crimson Columbine Scarlet Columbine Red Columbine | |
Aquilegia jonesii | Jones' Columbine Blue Limestone Columbine | |
Aquilegia longissima | Longspur Columbine Longspur Yellow Columbine | |
Aquilegia longissima | Longspur Columbine Longspur Yellow Columbine | |
Aquilegia longissima | Longspur Columbine Longspur Yellow Columbine | |
Aquilegia micrantha | Mancos Columbine | |
Aquilegia saximontana | Rocky Mountain Blue Columbine Alpine Blue Columbine | |
Aquilegia saximontana | Rocky Mountain Blue Columbine Alpine Blue Columbine | |
Aquilegia scopulorum | Utah Columbine | |
Aquilegia scopulorum | Utah Columbine | |
Aquilegia scopulorum | Utah Columbine | |
Aquilegia scopulorum | Utah Columbine | |
Aquilegia scopulorum | Utah Columbine | |
Aquilegia triternata | Chiricahua Mountain Columbine | |
Arabis aculeolata | Waldo Rockcress | |
Argemone aenea | Golden Pricklypoppy Golden Prickly Poppy | |
Argemone albiflora | Bluestem Pricklypoppy White Pricklypoppy White Prickly Poppy | |
Argentina anserina | Silverweed Cinquefoil Common Silverweed Silverweed Goosefoot | |
Argentina anserina | Silverweed Cinquefoil Common Silverweed Silverweed Goosefoot | |
Arethusa bulbosa | Dragon's Mouth Swamp Pink | |
Arethusa bulbosa | Dragon's Mouth Swamp Pink | |
Arctomecon californica | California Bear-poppy Yellow Desert-poppy Yellow Desert Poppy | |
Arctomecon californica | California Bear-poppy Yellow Desert-poppy Yellow Desert Poppy | |
Arctomecon californica | California Bear-poppy Yellow Desert-poppy Yellow Desert Poppy | |
Arenaria capillaris | Beautiful Sandwort Slender Mountain Sandwort | |
Argemone chisosensis | Chisos Mountain Prickly Poppy Pink Prickly Poppy | |
Argemone chisosensis | Chisos Mountain Prickly Poppy Pink Prickly Poppy | |
Arnica chamissonis | Chamisso Arnica | |
Arnica chamissonis | Chamisso Arnica | |
Arenaria congesta | Ballhead Sandwort | |
Argemone corymbosa | Mojave Pricklypoppy Mojave Prickly Poppy | |
Argemone corymbosa | Mojave Pricklypoppy Mojave Prickly Poppy | |
Arnica cordifolia | Heartleaf Arnica Heart-leaf Leopardbane | |
Arnica cordifolia | Heartleaf Arnica Heart-leaf Leopardbane | |
Arnica cordifolia | Heartleaf Arnica Heart-leaf Leopardbane | |
Aruncus dioicus | Bride's Feathers Goat's Beard | |
Arabis drummondii | Drummond's Rockcress | |
Arisaema dracontium | Green Dragon Dragonroot Greendragon | |
Arenaria fendleri | Fendler's Sandwort | |
Arabis hirsuta | Hairy Rockcress | |
Arabis holboellii | Holboell's Rockcress | |
Arctomecon humilis | Common Bear-poppy Little Desert-poppy Little Desert Poppy | |
Arctomecon humilis | Common Bear-poppy Little Desert-poppy Little Desert Poppy | |
Arctomecon humilis | Common Bear-poppy Little Desert-poppy Little Desert Poppy | |
Arenaria lanuginosa | Spreading Sandwort | |
Arenaria lanuginosa | Spreading Sandwort | |
Arnica latifolia | Broadleaf Arnica Mountain Arnica Daffodil Leopardbane | |
Arnica latifolia | Broadleaf Arnica Mountain Arnica Daffodil Leopardbane | |
Arnica latifolia | Broadleaf Arnica Mountain Arnica Daffodil Leopardbane | |
Arnica longifolia | Spearleaf Arnica | |
Arabis lyallii | Lyall's Rockcress | |
Armeria maritima | Thrift Seapink | |
Armeria maritima | Thrift Seapink | |
Argemone mexicana | Mexican Prickly Poppy Mexican Prickly Poppy Yellow Prickly Poppy | |
Argemone mexicana | Mexican Prickly Poppy Mexican Prickly Poppy Yellow Prickly Poppy | |
Argemone mexicana | Mexican Prickly Poppy Mexican Prickly Poppy Yellow Prickly Poppy | |
Arnica mollis | Hairy Arnica | |
Arnica mollis | Hairy Arnica | |
Arnica mollis | Hairy Arnica | |
Argemone munita | Flatbud Pricklypoppy Flatbud Prickly Poppy | |
Aralia nudicaulis | Wild Sarsaparilla | |
Aralia nudicaulis | Wild Sarsaparilla | |
Arnoglossum ovatum | Ovateleaf Cacalia | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |