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 |
Sarracenia leucophylla | Crimson Pitcherplant Crimson Pitcher-plant Crimson Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia leucophylla | Crimson Pitcherplant Crimson Pitcher-plant Crimson Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia leucophylla | Crimson Pitcherplant Crimson Pitcher-plant Crimson Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia leucophylla | Crimson Pitcherplant Crimson Pitcher-plant Crimson Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia leucophylla | Crimson Pitcherplant Crimson Pitcher-plant Crimson Pitcher Plant | |
Salvia lyrata | Lyreleaf Sage Cancer Weed | |
Salvia mellifera | Black Sage California Black Sage | |
Saxifraga mertensiana | Wood Saxifrage | |
Saxifraga mertensiana | Wood Saxifrage | |
Saxifraga micranthidifolia | Lettuceleaf Saxifrage Mountain Lettuce | |
Saxifraga micranthidifolia | Lettuceleaf Saxifrage Mountain Lettuce | |
Sarracenia minor | Hooded Pitcherplant Hooded Pitcher-plant Hooded Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia minor | Hooded Pitcherplant Hooded Pitcher-plant Hooded Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia minor | Hooded Pitcherplant Hooded Pitcher-plant Hooded Pitcher Plant | |
Sairocarpus multiflorus | Sierra Snapdragon Multi-flowered Snapdragon | |
Saxifraga nelsoniana ssp. nelsoniana | Heartleaf Saxifrage | |
Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis | Common Elderberry Black Elder Mexican Elderberry Common Elder Elderberry Tapiro Sauco | |
Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis | Common Elderberry Black Elder Mexican Elderberry Common Elder Elderberry Tapiro Sauco | |
Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis | Common Elderberry Black Elder Mexican Elderberry Common Elder Elderberry Tapiro Sauco | |
Saxifraga odontoloma | Brook Saxifrage | |
Saxifraga odontoloma | Brook Saxifrage | |
Saxifraga oppositifolia | Purple Mountain Saxifrage | |
Saxifraga oregana | Oregon Saxifrage | |
Saxifraga oregana | Oregon Saxifrage | |
Sarracenia oreophila | Green Pitcherplant Green Pitcher Plant | |
Salvia pachyphylla | Blue Sage | |
Sagittaria platyphylla | Delta Arrowhead | |
Sarracenia psittacina | Parrot Pitcherplant Parrot Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia psittacina | Parrot Pitcherplant Parrot Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia psittacina | Parrot Pitcherplant Parrot Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia purpurea | Purple Pitcherplant Northern Pitcher-plant Purple Pitcher Plant | |
Sarracenia purpurea | Purple Pitcherplant Northern Pitcher-plant Purple Pitcher Plant | |
Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa | Red Elderberry Scarlet Elder Red-berried Elder | |
Salvia regla | Mountain Sage Royal Sage | |
Sagittaria rigida | Sessilefruit Arrowhead | |
Saxifraga rivularis | Weak Saxifrage | |
Salvia roemeriana | Cedar Sage | |
Salvia roemeriana | Cedar Sage | |
Salvia roemeriana | Cedar Sage | |
Salvia roemeriana | Cedar Sage | |
Salvia roemeriana | Cedar Sage | |
Salvia roemeriana | Cedar Sage | |
Sarcodes sanguinea | Snowplant Snow Plant | |
Sarcodes sanguinea | Snowplant Snow Plant | |
Sarcodes sanguinea | Snowplant Snow Plant | |
Sarcodes sanguinea | Snowplant Snow Plant | |
Sarcodes sanguinea | Snowplant Snow Plant | |
Sarcodes sanguinea | Snowplant Snow Plant | |
Saxifraga serpyllifolia | Thymeleaf Saxifrage | |
Saxifraga serpyllifolia | Thymeleaf Saxifrage | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |