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 |
Arnoglossum plantagineum | Groovestem Indian Plantain Indian Plantain Prairie Plantain Prairie Indian Plantain | |
Arnoglossum plantagineum | Groovestem Indian Plantain Indian Plantain Prairie Plantain Prairie Indian Plantain | |
Arnica rydbergii | Rydberg's Arnica | |
Arnica rydbergii | Rydberg's Arnica | |
Argemone sanguinea | Red Pricklypoppy Rose Prickly Poppy Red Prickly Poppy | |
Argemone sanguinea | Red Pricklypoppy Rose Prickly Poppy Red Prickly Poppy | |
Argemone sanguinea | Red Pricklypoppy Rose Prickly Poppy Red Prickly Poppy | |
Arabis sparsiflora | Sicklepod Rockcress | |
Arabis sparsiflora | Sicklepod Rockcress | |
Arabis sparsiflora | Sicklepod Rockcress | |
Aralia spinosa | Devil's Walking Stick Hercules Club Angelica Tree Pigeon Tree Shotbush Prickly Elder Prickly Ash | |
Argemone squarrosa | Hedgehog Pricklypoppy Hedgehog Prickly Poppy | |
Arisaema triphyllum | Jack In The Pulpit Indian Jack In The Pulpit Jack-in-the-pulpit | |
Arisaema triphyllum | Jack In The Pulpit Indian Jack In The Pulpit Jack-in-the-pulpit | |
Arisaema triphyllum | Jack In The Pulpit Indian Jack In The Pulpit Jack-in-the-pulpit | |
Arisaema triphyllum | Jack In The Pulpit Indian Jack In The Pulpit Jack-in-the-pulpit | |
Arisaema triphyllum | Jack In The Pulpit Indian Jack In The Pulpit Jack-in-the-pulpit | |
Arisaema triphyllum | Jack In The Pulpit Indian Jack In The Pulpit Jack-in-the-pulpit | |
Arisaema triphyllum | Jack In The Pulpit Indian Jack In The Pulpit Jack-in-the-pulpit | |
Arisaema triphyllum | Jack In The Pulpit Indian Jack In The Pulpit Jack-in-the-pulpit | |
Arisaema triphyllum ssp. quinatum | Five-leaved Jack-in-the-pulpit Jack In The Pulpit Indian Turnip | |
Astragalus accidens | Rogue River Milkvetch | |
Astragalus agrestis | Purple Milkvetch Field Milk-vetch | |
Aster alpinus | Alpine Aster | |
Astragalus alpinus | Alpine Milkvetch | |
Asclepias asperula | Antelope-horns Spider Milkweed Green-flowered Milkweed Spider Antelope-horns Antelope Horns | |
Asclepias asperula | Antelope-horns Spider Milkweed Green-flowered Milkweed Spider Antelope-horns Antelope Horns | |
Asclepias asperula | Antelope-horns Spider Milkweed Green-flowered Milkweed Spider Antelope-horns Antelope Horns | |
Asclepias asperula | Antelope-horns Spider Milkweed Green-flowered Milkweed Spider Antelope-horns Antelope Horns | |
Asclepias asperula | Antelope-horns Spider Milkweed Green-flowered Milkweed Spider Antelope-horns Antelope Horns | |
Astragalus bisulcatus | Twogrooved Milkvetch | |
Astragalus bisulcatus | Twogrooved Milkvetch | |
Asarum canadense | Canadian Wild Ginger Wild Ginger | |
Asarum canadense | Canadian Wild Ginger Wild Ginger | |
Asarum caudatum | British Columbia Wild Ginger Long-tail Wild Ginger | |
Asclepias californica | California Milkweed | |
Astragalus calycosus | Torrey's Milkvetch | |
Astragalus calycosus | Torrey's Milkvetch | |
Astragalus ceramicus | Painted Milkvetch | |
Astragalus chamaeleuce | Cicada Milkvetch | |
Asclepias cryptoceras | Pallid Milkweed Humboldt Mountain Milkweed | |
Astragalus crassicarpus | Groundplum Milkvetch Ground Plum | |
Astragalus crassicarpus | Groundplum Milkvetch Ground Plum | |
Astragalus crassicarpus | Groundplum Milkvetch Ground Plum | |
Astragalus crassicarpus | Groundplum Milkvetch Ground Plum | |
Astragalus crotalariae | Salton Milkvetch Salton Sea Milk Vetch | |
Astragalus didymocarpus | Dwarf White Milkvetch | |
Asclepias exaltata | Poke Milkweed | |
Asclepias fascicularis | Mexican Whorled Milkweed Narrowleaf Milkweed | |
Asarum hartwegii | Hartweg's Wild Ginger | |
Asarum hartwegii | Hartweg's Wild Ginger | |
Asarum hartwegii | Hartweg's Wild Ginger | |
Asclepias humistrata | Pinewoods Milkweed Sandhill Milkweed | |
Asclepias humistrata | Pinewoods Milkweed Sandhill Milkweed | |
Astragalus inflexus | Bent Milkvetch Bent Milk-vetch | |
Astragalus kentrophyta | Spiny Milkvetch | |
Astragalus kentrophyta | Spiny Milkvetch | |
Astragalus kentrophyta | Spiny Milkvetch | |
Astragalus lentiginosus | Freckled Milkvetch | |
Astragalus lentiginosus | Freckled Milkvetch | |
Astragalus lentiginosus | Freckled Milkvetch | |
Asclepias longifolia | Longleaf Milkweed | |
Asclepias longifolia | Longleaf Milkweed | |
Astragalus lotiflorus | Lotus Milkvetch Lotus Milk-vetch Low Milkvetch Milkvetch | |
Asclepias michauxii | Michaux's Milkweed | |
Astragalus mollissimus | Woolly Locoweed Purple Locoweed Woolly Loco Woolly Milkvetch Wooly Loco Wooly Locoweed | |
Astragalus newberryi | Newberry's Milkvetch | |
Astragalus nuttallianus | Nuttall's Milkvetch Small-flowered Milkvetch | |
Astragalus nuttallianus | Nuttall's Milkvetch Small-flowered Milkvetch | |
Asclepias obovata | Pineland Milkweed | |
Asclepias ovalifolia | Oval-leaf Milkweed Dwarf Milkweed | |
Astragalus parryi | Parry's Milkvetch | |
Astragalus parryi | Parry's Milkvetch | |
Astragalus pectinatus | Narrowleaf Milkvetch | |
Astragalus pomonensis | Pomona Milkvetch | |
Asyneuma prenanthoides | California Harebell Nodding Harebell | |
Asyneuma prenanthoides | California Harebell Nodding Harebell | |
Astragalus praelongus | Stinking Milkvetch | |
Astragalus praelongus | Stinking Milkvetch | |
Astragalus praelongus | Stinking Milkvetch | |
Astragalus praelongus | Stinking Milkvetch | |
Astragalus purshii | Woollypod Milkvetch Pursh's Milkvetch | |
Astragalus purshii | Woollypod Milkvetch Pursh's Milkvetch | |
Asclepias quadrifolia | Fourleaf Milkweed | |
Astragalus shortianus | Short's Milkvetch | |
Asclepias speciosa | Showy Milkweed | |
Astragalus spatulatus | Tufted Milkvetch | |
Asclepias syriaca | Common Milkweed | |
Asclepias syriaca | Common Milkweed | |
Asclepias syriaca | Common Milkweed | |
Asclepias syriaca | Common Milkweed | |
Astragalus tephrodes | Ashen Milkvetch | |
Astragalus thurberi | Thurber's Milkvetch | |
Asclepias tuberosa | Butterflyweed Butterfly Weed Butterfly Milkweed Orange Milkweed Pleurisy Root Chigger Flower Chiggerweed | |
Asclepias tuberosa | Butterflyweed Butterfly Weed Butterfly Milkweed Orange Milkweed Pleurisy Root Chigger Flower Chiggerweed | |
Asclepias tuberosa | Butterflyweed Butterfly Weed Butterfly Milkweed Orange Milkweed Pleurisy Root Chigger Flower Chiggerweed | |
Asclepias tuberosa | Butterflyweed Butterfly Weed Butterfly Milkweed Orange Milkweed Pleurisy Root Chigger Flower Chiggerweed | |
Asclepias variegata | Redring Milkweed White-flowered Milkweed | |
Asclepias viridis | Green Milkweed Spider Milkweed | |
Asclepias viridis | Green Milkweed Spider Milkweed | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |