Photo: Mary Pickford admires a namesake orchid. Courtesy of Mary Mallory.
Flowers, like actors, sometimes have short-lived celebrity. Once their aura of uniqueness fades, many languish or fall by the wayside. Some disappear. Others continue to thrive because of their hardy nature, popularity, or beauty.
Breeders and growers of flowers have struggled to develop attention-grabbing names for their plants for hundreds of years. Many name discoveries after themselves; others give monikers to plants that resemble the person they are named for or might help it prosper. Most plants that gain popular names are hybrids developed through luck or discovery.
Dec. 14, 1912: I am probably too fond of saying this, but traffic in Los Angeles is not a new problem: It’s more than 100 years old. Here’s a lesson from history to those who are bringing the streetcar back to downtown Los Angeles.
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