Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

UTK Herbarium - TENN

@utkherbarium.bsky.social

340 followers 54 following 130 posts

Biodiversity collection of over 649,000 plants & fungi at University of Tennessee - Knoxville in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department. Specimens from around the world with strengths in Tennessee & southern Appalachians! linktr.ee/utkherbarium

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 11h

Need an extra boost to get through the rest of the week? Try our native Yaupon!

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 2d

The iconic Saguaro!!

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 5d

Bird-of-Paradise: a favorite houseplant for many! Bring tropical charm into your living room, no squawking or feathers required!

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 9d

🌼 State flower of the week!!🌼

Myosotis alpestris (Boraginaceae)

Like many members of the borage family, M. alpestris is covered in stiff hairs that can feel rough to the touch. These hairs, sometimes fortified with silica or calcium, act as a natural defense and can cause skin irritation.

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 12d

Don't forget to stop by at the UT Herbarium next week for some delicious scones and engaging conversation! We will be giving tours of the herbarium while highlighting many of our amazing specimens!

Fungi ✅
Flowers✅
Moss ✅
Scones ✅
Biologists ✅

1 2

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 13d

The common name says it all!

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 16d

Alabama’s state flower wasn’t always the camellia.
Originally it was goldenrod, a native wildflower!

In the 1950s it was swapped for camellia, but by the 1990s Alabama added the oak-leaf hydrangea as its State Wildflower to honor native plants.

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 20d

This is no bird! The White Egret Orchid uses its "unique" shape to attract pollinators. 🐞 🦋 🐝

1 4

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 21d

The partridge pea is a pollinator favorite, even though its flowers don’t produce nectar! Instead, nectar comes from special glands called extrafloral nectaries, attracting bees and beneficial insects alike.
Photo courtesy of Thomas G. Barnes

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 27d

Would the Bee Orchid fool you? 🐝

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · 28d

It’s tomato season! 🍅

Derived from a single species native to South America, Solanum lycopersicum has spread worldwide and become a favorite food for many. But this beloved fruit wasn’t always celebrated, Its toxic relatives and a few “deadly dinners” gave it a bad reputation!

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Sep 5

Pawpaw season is here!!!

Asimina triloba, or pawpaw, is a small tree in the custard-apple family (Annonaceae). These tropical-tasting fruits grow across the eastern U.S.

Be sure to get out and enjoy them while you can!

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Sep 4

Pucker up for Psychotria!

1 2

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Aug 29

We're excited to announce this year's dates for our #Specimens & Scones events! The first date is Wednesday, October 1st, and the second is Thursday, November 13th, from 3 to 5 p.m. Please join us to learn what our #Herbarium offers while enjoying coffee, tea, and delicious scones! See you there!

1 2

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Aug 28

Have you ever seen this plant before?

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Aug 22

No squinting necessary to see the similarity!

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Aug 21

Fall semester is here, and we couldn’t be happier to have our students back in action! We’re looking forward to another great semester filled with plants, people, and exciting new projects!

Reposted by UTK Herbarium - TENN

Jessica Budke 🌱🥼🔬 @mossplants.bsky.social · Aug 20

Check out this great video www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6-x... that @utknoxville.bsky.social graduate Cruz Gouveia put together about our US National Science Foundation funded May mini-term class (EEB 466 - Immersion in Collections Research)!

Come join us at UT for EEB 466 Immersions in Collections Research

YouTube video by UT Herbarium

www.youtube.com

1 1 3

Reposted by UTK Herbarium - TENN

Sarita Munoz-Gomez @saristolochia.bsky.social · Aug 2

Of course I had to show my boyfriend all my new stickers 🙂‍↕️ #botany2025

2 8

Reposted by UTK Herbarium - TENN

Society of Herbarium Curators @herbariumcurators.bsky.social · Jul 28

Stop by the Society of Herbarium Curators booth at #Botany2025 to learn more about the society and to get some free stickers to show your support for herbaria! Not a member, join us using this link. www.herbariumcurators.org/membership/

6 21

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Jul 1

Peak bloom time for rhododendrons is in late June! The best place to see rhododendron blooms in Tennessee is Roan Mountain State Park. The park is home to the worlk’s largest natural rhododendron garden, streatching over an increadible 600 acres!
Photo curtesy of Dennis D. Horn.

3 8

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Jun 23

Monarch caterpillars eat and rely on milkweed as a host species. In order to combat the declining populations of both milkweed and Monarch butterflies, TDOT is giving away free milkweed seeds.

Get your free seeds here: tnpollinators.org/milkweed/
Photo courtesy of Thomas G. Barnes.

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · Jun 9

Did you know violets have a summer secret? While spring is the peak season for violet blooms, many species, like Viola sororia, will continue flowering through the summer in a surprising way. They produce cleistogamous flowers: small, closed blossoms that self-pollinate without ever opening.

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · May 30

Fleischmannia incarnata, also known as Pink Slender-Thoroughwort, is part of the Asteraceae family. This specimen was collected by Elaine Walker on August 23rd, 2023. It was located in Hawkins County, Tennessee. In terms of habitat, this species prefers moist soils and low, open fields.

1 9

UTK Herbarium - TENN @utkherbarium.bsky.social · May 23

Callicarpa americana, also known as the American Beauty-Berry, is part of the Lamiaceae family. This specimen was collected by V.E. McNeilus on August 9th, 1990. It was located on Jones Bluff in Knox County, Tennessee. In terms of habitat, this species prefers open meadows, woodlands and streams.

1 4