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 |
Phlox austromontana | Mountain Phlox | |
Phlox austromontana | Mountain Phlox | |
Pholistoma auritum | Blue Fiestaflower Desert Fiestaflower Fiesta Flower | |
Pholistoma auritum | Blue Fiestaflower Desert Fiestaflower Fiesta Flower | |
Phacelia brachyloba | Shortlobe Phacelia | |
Phyllodoce breweri | Purple Mountainheath Purple Mountain Heath Purple Mountain Heather Brewer's Mountain Heath Brewer's Mountain Heather | |
Phlox buckleyi | Swordleaf Phlox | |
Phlox carolina | Carolina Phlox Summer Phlox Thickleaf Phlox | |
Phacelia calthifolia | Calthaleaf Phacelia Caltha-leaf Scorpion-weed Caltha Leafed Phacelia | |
Phacelia calthifolia | Calthaleaf Phacelia Caltha-leaf Scorpion-weed Caltha Leafed Phacelia | |
Phacelia campanularia | Desert Bells Desert Canterbury Bells Desert Bluebells Bluebells | |
Phacelia campanularia | Desert Bells Desert Canterbury Bells Desert Bluebells Bluebells | |
Phlox caespitosa | Tufted Phlox | |
Phlox caespitosa | Tufted Phlox | |
Phlox caespitosa | Tufted Phlox | |
Phacelia coerulea | Skyblue Phacelia Baby Blue Phacelia Sky-blue Scorpion-weed Skyblue Scorpionweed | |
Phacelia congesta | Caterpillars Blue Curls Fiddleneck | |
Phacelia corymbosa | Serpentine Phacelia Serpentine Scorpion-weed Serpentine Scorpionweed | |
Phacelia corymbosa | Serpentine Phacelia Serpentine Scorpion-weed Serpentine Scorpionweed | |
Phacelia crenulata | Cleft-leaf Wild Heliotrope Notchleaf Phacelia Notch-leaf Scorpion-weed | |
Phacelia crenulata | Cleft-leaf Wild Heliotrope Notchleaf Phacelia Notch-leaf Scorpion-weed | |
Phacelia crenulata | Cleft-leaf Wild Heliotrope Notchleaf Phacelia Notch-leaf Scorpion-weed | |
Physalis crassifolia | Yellow Nightshade Groundcherry | |
Phacelia crenulata var. corrugata | Cleft-leaf Wild Heliotrope Cleftleaf Scorpion-weed | |
Phlox cuspidata | Pointed Phlox | |
Phacelia distans | Distant Phacelia Wild Heliotrope | |
Phlox diffusa | Spreading Phlox Mat Phlox | |
Phlox diffusa | Spreading Phlox Mat Phlox | |
Phlox diffusa | Spreading Phlox Mat Phlox | |
Phlox divaricata | Wild Blue Phlox Louisiana Phlox Blue Woodland Phlox Sweet William Wild Sweet William | |
Phlox divaricata | Wild Blue Phlox Louisiana Phlox Blue Woodland Phlox Sweet William Wild Sweet William | |
Phlox drummondii | Annual Phlox Drummond Phlox Pride-of-Texas Texas Pride | |
Phlox drummondii | Annual Phlox Drummond Phlox Pride-of-Texas Texas Pride | |
Phlox drummondii | Annual Phlox Drummond Phlox Pride-of-Texas Texas Pride | |
Phlox drummondii ssp. drummondii | Annual Phlox | |
Phlox drummondii ssp. drummondii | Annual Phlox | |
Phlox drummondii ssp. drummondii | Annual Phlox | |
Phyllodoce empetriformis | Pink Mountain Heath Pink Mountain Heather | |
Phyllodoce empetriformis | Pink Mountain Heath Pink Mountain Heather | |
Philadelphus ernestii | Canyon Mock Orange Canyon Mock-orange Mock-orange | |
Phacelia fimbriata | Fringed Phacelia | |
Phacelia fimbriata | Fringed Phacelia | |
Phlox floridana | Florida Phlox | |
Phacelia fremontii | Fremont's Phacelia | |
Phacelia fremontii | Fremont's Phacelia | |
Phacelia glechomifolia | Pennyroyal Leaf Phacelia | |
Phlox glaberrima | Smooth Phlox Marsh Phlox | |
Phlox glaberrima | Smooth Phlox Marsh Phlox | |
Phlox glaberrima | Smooth Phlox Marsh Phlox | |
Phlox glabriflora | Rio Grande Phlox | |
Phlox glabriflora | Rio Grande Phlox | |
Phacelia grandiflora | Largeflower Phacelia Large-flower Scorpion-weed | |
Phacelia hastata | Silverleaf Phacelia Whiteleaf Phacelia | |
Physalis heterophylla | Clammy Groundcherry | |
Physalis heterophylla | Clammy Groundcherry | |
Phacelia hirsuta | Fuzzy Phacelia | |
Phlox hoodii | Spiny Phlox | |
Phlox hoodii | Spiny Phlox | |
Phlox hoodii | Spiny Phlox | |
Phacelia integrifolia | Gypsum Phacelia Gyp Blue-curls | |
Physostegia intermedia | Spring Obedient Plant Marsh Obedient Plant Slender False Dragonhead Intermediate False Dragonhead | |
Physostegia intermedia | Spring Obedient Plant Marsh Obedient Plant Slender False Dragonhead Intermediate False Dragonhead | |
Physostegia intermedia | Spring Obedient Plant Marsh Obedient Plant Slender False Dragonhead Intermediate False Dragonhead | |
Physostegia intermedia | Spring Obedient Plant Marsh Obedient Plant Slender False Dragonhead Intermediate False Dragonhead | |
Phlox latifolia | Wideflower Phlox Mountain Phlox | |
Philadelphus lewisii | Lewis' Mock Orange Mock Orange California Mock Orange | |
Philadelphus lewisii | Lewis' Mock Orange Mock Orange California Mock Orange | |
Philadelphus lewisii | Lewis' Mock Orange Mock Orange California Mock Orange | |
Phacelia linearis | Threadleaf Phacelia | |
Phacelia linearis | Threadleaf Phacelia | |
Phlox longifolia | Longleaf Phlox Long-leaf Phlox | |
Phlox longifolia ssp. brevifolia | Longleaf Phlox | |
Phlox longifolia ssp. brevifolia | Longleaf Phlox | |
Phlox longifolia ssp. brevifolia | Longleaf Phlox | |
Phacelia maculata | Spotted Phacelia | |
Phacelia minor | Wild Canterbury Bells California Bells | |
Phlox missoulensis | Missoula Phlox | |
Phlox missoulensis | Missoula Phlox | |
Phlox mollis | Soft Phlox | |
Phlox multiflora | Flowery Phlox Rocky Mountain Phlox | |
Phacelia nashiana | Charlotte's Phacelia | |
Phacelia nashiana | Charlotte's Phacelia | |
Phlox nana | Santa Fe Phlox White-eyed Phlox Canyon Phlox | |
Phlox nivalis | Trailing Phlox | |
Phlox nivalis | Trailing Phlox | |
Phlox nivalis | Trailing Phlox | |
Phlox nivalis | Trailing Phlox | |
Physocarpus opulifolius | Common Ninebark Atlantic Ninebark | |
Phacelia parryi | Parry's Phacelia | |
Phacelia parryi | Parry's Phacelia | |
Phacelia parryi | Parry's Phacelia | |
Phacelia patuliflora | Sand Phacelia Sand Scorpionweed Blue Phacelia | |
Phacelia patuliflora | Sand Phacelia Sand Scorpionweed Blue Phacelia | |
Phacelia patuliflora | Sand Phacelia Sand Scorpionweed Blue Phacelia | |
Phlox pilosa | Downy Phlox Prairie Phlox Fragrant Phlox | |
Phlox pilosa | Downy Phlox Prairie Phlox Fragrant Phlox | |
Phlox pilosa | Downy Phlox Prairie Phlox Fragrant Phlox | |
Phlox pilosa | Downy Phlox Prairie Phlox Fragrant Phlox | |
Phacelia popei | Pope's Phacelia | |
Physostegia purpurea | Eastern False Dragonhead | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |