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 |
Grindelia lanceolata var. lanceolata | Narrowleaf Gumweed | |
Grindelia nana | Idaho Gumweed | |
Grindelia papposa | Spanish Gold Clasping-leaved Haplopappus Saw-leaf Daisy | |
Grindelia papposa | Spanish Gold Clasping-leaved Haplopappus Saw-leaf Daisy | |
Grindelia squarrosa | Curlycup Gumweed | |
Grindelia squarrosa | Curlycup Gumweed | |
Grindelia stricta | Oregon Gumweed | |
Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla | Oregon Gumweed | |
Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla | Oregon Gumweed | |
Guaiacum angustifolium | Texas Lignum-vitae Soapbush Guayacan | |
Gutierrezia microcephala | Threadleaf Snakeweed Threadleaf Broomweed Smallhead Snakeweed Littlehead Snakeweed | |
Gutierrezia microcephala | Threadleaf Snakeweed Threadleaf Broomweed Smallhead Snakeweed Littlehead Snakeweed | |
Gutierrezia microcephala | Threadleaf Snakeweed Threadleaf Broomweed Smallhead Snakeweed Littlehead Snakeweed | |
Gutierrezia sarothrae | Broom Snakeweed Kindlingweed Matchbrush Texas Snakeweed Broomweed Turpentine Weed Matchweed | |
Hastingsia alba | White Rushlily | |
Hastingsia alba | White Rushlily | |
Halesia diptera | Two-wing Silverbell Two-winged Silverbell Silverbell American Snowdrop Tree Snowdrop Tree Snowbell Cowlicks | |
Halesia diptera | Two-wing Silverbell Two-winged Silverbell Silverbell American Snowdrop Tree Snowdrop Tree Snowbell Cowlicks | |
Haploesthes greggii | False Broomweed | |
Haploesthes greggii | False Broomweed | |
Hackelia micrantha | Jessica Sticktight | |
Halesia tetraptera var. monticola | Mountain Silverbell | |
Habranthus tubispathus | Rio Grande Copperlily Copper Lily Rio Grande Copper-lily | |
Habranthus tubispathus | Rio Grande Copperlily Copper Lily Rio Grande Copper-lily | |
Hackelia velutina | Velvet Stickseed | |
Hedysarum alpinum | Alpine Sweetvetch Alpine Sweet Broom Licorice Root Sweetbroom | |
Hedysarum alpinum | Alpine Sweetvetch Alpine Sweet Broom Licorice Root Sweetbroom | |
Helenium amarum | Yellow Sneezeweed Bitterweed Yellow Bitterweed Yellowdicks Slender-leaved Sneezeweed Fine-leaved Sneezweed Yellow Dog-fennel | |
Helenium amarum | Yellow Sneezeweed Bitterweed Yellow Bitterweed Yellowdicks Slender-leaved Sneezeweed Fine-leaved Sneezweed Yellow Dog-fennel | |
Helenium amarum var. badium | Brown Bitterweed Basin Sneezeweed | |
Helenium amarum var. badium | Brown Bitterweed Basin Sneezeweed | |
Helianthus angustifolius | Swamp Sunflower Narrowleaf Sunflower Narrow-leaved Sunflower | |
Helianthus angustifolius | Swamp Sunflower Narrowleaf Sunflower Narrow-leaved Sunflower | |
Helianthus angustifolius | Swamp Sunflower Narrowleaf Sunflower Narrow-leaved Sunflower | |
Helianthus angustifolius | Swamp Sunflower Narrowleaf Sunflower Narrow-leaved Sunflower | |
Helianthus annuus | Common Sunflower Annual Sunflower | |
Helianthus annuus | Common Sunflower Annual Sunflower | |
Helianthus annuus | Common Sunflower Annual Sunflower | |
Helianthus annuus | Common Sunflower Annual Sunflower | |
Helianthus annuus | Common Sunflower Annual Sunflower | |
Helianthus annuus | Common Sunflower Annual Sunflower | |
Helianthus annuus | Common Sunflower Annual Sunflower | |
Helianthus annuus | Common Sunflower Annual Sunflower | |
Helianthus anomalus | Western Sunflower | |
Helianthus anomalus | Western Sunflower | |
Helianthus argophyllus | Silverleaf Sunflower | |
Hexastylis arifolia var. arifolia | Heart-leaf Ginger Heart-leaf Little Brown Jug Little Brown Jug | |
Hexastylis arifolia var. arifolia | Heart-leaf Ginger Heart-leaf Little Brown Jug Little Brown Jug | |
Helenium autumnale | Common Sneezeweed Fall Sneezeweed Autumn Sneezeweed | |
Helenium autumnale | Common Sneezeweed Fall Sneezeweed Autumn Sneezeweed | |
Helenium bigelovii | Bigelow's Sneezeweed | |
Helenium bolanderi | Coastal Sneezeweed | |
Helenium bolanderi | Coastal Sneezeweed | |
Heuchera bracteata | Bracted Alumroot | |
Heuchera bracteata | Bracted Alumroot | |
Helianthella californica | California Helianthella | |
Helianthemum carolinianum | Carolina Frostweed | |
Hesperochiron californicus | California Hesperochiron | |
Heterotheca canescens | Hoary False Goldenaster Gray Golden-aster | |
Helianthus ciliaris | Texas Blueweed | |
Heliotropium confertifolium | Leafy Heliotrope | |
Heliotropium confertifolium | Leafy Heliotrope | |
Heliotropium convolvulaceum | Phlox Heliotrope Fragrant Heliotrope | |
Hemizonia congesta ssp. luzulifolia | Hayfield Tarweed | |
Heliotropium curassavicum | Salt Heliotrope Seaside Heliotrope Quail Plant Cola De Mico Cola De Gama | |
Heuchera cylindrica | Roundleaf Alumroot Poker Heuchera | |
Helianthus debilis | Cucumberleaf Sunflower Cucumber-leaf Sunflower Beach Sunflower | |
Helianthus debilis | Cucumberleaf Sunflower Cucumber-leaf Sunflower Beach Sunflower | |
Helianthus divaricatus | Woodland Sunflower Rough Sunflower | |
Helenium drummondii | Fringed Sneezeweed | |
Helenium drummondii | Fringed Sneezeweed | |
Helenium flexuosum | Purplehead Sneezeweed Purple-head Sneezeweed | |
Helenium flexuosum | Purplehead Sneezeweed Purple-head Sneezeweed | |
Helenium flexuosum | Purplehead Sneezeweed Purple-head Sneezeweed | |
Heterotheca fulcrata var. fulcrata | Rockyscree False Goldenaster | |
Heterotheca fulcrata var. fulcrata | Rockyscree False Goldenaster | |
Helianthemum georgianum | Georgia Frostweed Rockrose Georgia Sunrose | |
Helianthemum georgianum | Georgia Frostweed Rockrose Georgia Sunrose | |
Helianthus giganteus | Giant Sunflower | |
Heuchera glabra | Alpine Heuchera Alpine Alum-root Alpine Alumroot | |
Helianthus grosseserratus | Sawtooth Sunflower | |
Helianthus grosseserratus | Sawtooth Sunflower | |
Heliotropium greggii | Fragrant Heliotrope | |
Heliotropium greggii | Fragrant Heliotrope | |
Heliopsis helianthoides | Smooth Oxeye Oxeye Sunflower False Sunflower | |
Heliopsis helianthoides | Smooth Oxeye Oxeye Sunflower False Sunflower | |
Heliopsis helianthoides | Smooth Oxeye Oxeye Sunflower False Sunflower | |
Helianthus hirsutus | Hairy Sunflower Rough Sunflower | |
Helianthus hirsutus | Hairy Sunflower Rough Sunflower | |
Herbertia lahue | Prairie Nymph Herbertia | |
Herbertia lahue | Prairie Nymph Herbertia | |
Herbertia lahue | Prairie Nymph Herbertia | |
Heliomeris longifolia var. longifolia | Longleaf False Goldeneye | |
Heliomeris longifolia var. longifolia | Longleaf False Goldeneye | |
Heliomeris longifolia var. longifolia | Longleaf False Goldeneye | |
Helianthus maximiliani | Maximilian Sunflower Max Sunflower | |
Helianthus maximiliani | Maximilian Sunflower Max Sunflower | |
Helianthus maximiliani | Maximilian Sunflower Max Sunflower | |
Helianthus maximiliani | Maximilian Sunflower Max Sunflower | |
Helianthus maximiliani | Maximilian Sunflower Max Sunflower | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |