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 |
Tecoma stans | Yellow Bells Yellowbells Esperanza Yellow Trumpetbush Yellow Trumpetflower Trumpetbush Trumpetflower Yellow Elder Hardy Yellow Trumpet Yellow Trumpet Bush | |
Tecoma stans | Yellow Bells Yellowbells Esperanza Yellow Trumpetbush Yellow Trumpetflower Trumpetbush Trumpetflower Yellow Elder Hardy Yellow Trumpet Yellow Trumpet Bush | |
Tetragonotheca texana | Squarebud Daisy Nerve-ray Square-bud Daisy | |
Tetragonotheca texana | Squarebud Daisy Nerve-ray Square-bud Daisy | |
Tephrosia virginiana | Goat's Rue Virginia Tephrosia Devil's Shoestring | |
Thymophylla acerosa | Prickly-leaf Dogweed Texas Dogweed Shrubby Dogweed Prickleleaf Dogweed Prickleaf Dogweed Fetid Marigold Scrubby Dogweed | |
Thymophylla acerosa | Prickly-leaf Dogweed Texas Dogweed Shrubby Dogweed Prickleleaf Dogweed Prickleaf Dogweed Fetid Marigold Scrubby Dogweed | |
Thymophylla aurea var. aurea | Manyawn Pricklyleaf | |
Thalictrum clavatum | Mountain Meadow-rue Lady-rue | |
Thalictrum dasycarpum | Purple Meadow-rue Tall Meadow-rue Meadow Rue | |
Thalictrum fendleri | Fendler's Meadow-rue | |
Thalictrum fendleri | Fendler's Meadow-rue | |
Thelesperma filifolium | Stiff Greenthread Greenthread | |
Thelesperma filifolium | Stiff Greenthread Greenthread | |
Thelesperma filifolium | Stiff Greenthread Greenthread | |
Thelesperma megapotamicum | Hopi Tea Greenthread Green Threads Navajo Tea Cota | |
Thymophylla micropoides | Woolly Pricklyleaf | |
Thymophylla micropoides | Woolly Pricklyleaf | |
Thymophylla micropoides | Woolly Pricklyleaf | |
Thermopsis mollis | Allegheny Mountain Goldenbanner | |
Thermopsis montana | Mountain Goldenbanner Montane Golden-banner Golden Pea Buckbean | |
Thymophylla pentachaeta var. belenidium | Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf | |
Thymophylla pentachaeta var. belenidium | Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf | |
Thymophylla pentachaeta var. belenidium | Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf | |
Thymophylla pentachaeta var. pentachaeta | Parralena Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf Dogweed Dyssodia | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |