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 |
Clematis texensis | Scarlet Clematis Scarlet Leatherflower Texas Clematis | |
Clematis texensis | Scarlet Clematis Scarlet Leatherflower Texas Clematis | |
Clematis texensis | Scarlet Clematis Scarlet Leatherflower Texas Clematis | |
Clematis texensis | Scarlet Clematis Scarlet Leatherflower Texas Clematis | |
Clintonia umbellulata | White Clintonia White Bluebead-lily Speckled Wood-lily | |
Clarkia unguiculata | Elegant Clarkia Elegant Fairyfan Mountain Garland | |
Clarkia unguiculata | Elegant Clarkia Elegant Fairyfan Mountain Garland | |
Clarkia unguiculata | Elegant Clarkia Elegant Fairyfan Mountain Garland | |
Clarkia unguiculata | Elegant Clarkia Elegant Fairyfan Mountain Garland | |
Clarkia unguiculata | Elegant Clarkia Elegant Fairyfan Mountain Garland | |
Clintonia uniflora | Bride's Bonnet Queen Cup Bead Lily | |
Clintonia uniflora | Bride's Bonnet Queen Cup Bead Lily | |
Claytonia virginica | Virginia Springbeauty Springbeauty | |
Claytonia virginica | Virginia Springbeauty Springbeauty | |
Clematis viorna | Vasevine Leatherflower | |
Clematis viorna | Vasevine Leatherflower | |
Clematis virginiana | Devil's Darning Needles Virgin's Bower Old Man's Beard | |
Clarkia williamsonii | Fort Miller Clarkia | |
Cnidoscolus texanus | Texas Bullnettle Bull Nettle Tread-softly Spurge Nettle | |
Cnidoscolus texanus | Texas Bullnettle Bull Nettle Tread-softly Spurge Nettle | |
Cnidoscolus texanus | Texas Bullnettle Bull Nettle Tread-softly Spurge Nettle | |
Cnidoscolus urens var. stimulosus | Finger Rot Tread Softly | |
Conopholis americana | American Cancer-root Squawroot | |
Coreopsis auriculata | Lobed Tickseed Early Coreopsis Eared Coreopsis Dwarf Tickseed | |
Coreopsis auriculata | Lobed Tickseed Early Coreopsis Eared Coreopsis Dwarf Tickseed | |
Coreopsis auriculata | Lobed Tickseed Early Coreopsis Eared Coreopsis Dwarf Tickseed | |
Corydalis aurea | Scrambled Eggs Golden Corydalis | |
Collinsia bartsiifolia | White Blue Eyed Mary | |
Collinsia bartsiifolia | White Blue Eyed Mary | |
Collinsia bartsiifolia | White Blue Eyed Mary | |
Coreopsis basalis | Goldenmane Tickseed Golden-wave | |
Coreopsis basalis | Goldenmane Tickseed Golden-wave | |
Coreopsis basalis | Goldenmane Tickseed Golden-wave | |
Coreopsis bigelovii | Bigelow's Tickseed | |
Coreopsis bigelovii | Bigelow's Tickseed | |
Cornus canadensis | Bunchberry Dogwood Canadian Bunchberry | |
Corydalis caseana | Sierra Fumewort | |
Corydalis caseana | Sierra Fumewort | |
Coreopsis calliopsidea | Leafstem Tickseed Leaf-stem Tickseed Leafy Stem Coreopsis | |
Coreopsis calliopsidea | Leafstem Tickseed Leaf-stem Tickseed Leafy Stem Coreopsis | |
Conoclinium coelestinum | Blue Mistflower Wild Ageratum Blue Boneset | |
Conoclinium coelestinum | Blue Mistflower Wild Ageratum Blue Boneset | |
Corydalis curvisiliqua | Curvepod Fumewort Scrambled Eggs Golden Smoke Curvepod | |
Corydalis curvisiliqua | Curvepod Fumewort Scrambled Eggs Golden Smoke Curvepod | |
Corydalis curvisiliqua | Curvepod Fumewort Scrambled Eggs Golden Smoke Curvepod | |
Coreopsis douglasii | Douglas' Tickseed | |
Cornus drummondii | Roughleaf Dogwood Drummond's Dogwood Rough-leaf Dogwood | |
Cornus drummondii | Roughleaf Dogwood Drummond's Dogwood Rough-leaf Dogwood | |
Cornus drummondii | Roughleaf Dogwood Drummond's Dogwood Rough-leaf Dogwood | |
Cooperia drummondii | Evening Rain Lily Evening Star Rain Lily | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |