Hello October Birthday Blossoms and Happy Autumn!
Welcome to the latest edition of Fun Flower Facts, where whimsy meets who, what, where, when, and why. In this edition, we will be introduced to Mr. Luther Burbank.
- Luther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist, and agricultural scientist. Burbank grew up on a farm and had a high school education. He taught himself botany and agriculture.
- Burbank developed over 800 strains and varieties of plants. You might be familiar with some of the flowers he cultivated, such as the Shasta Daisy.
- The Russet & Burbank potato, often called the Idaho potato, is the most widely cultivated potato in the United States. If you love McDonald’s French fries, you can thank Luther Burbank.
- California’s Arbor Day, March 7, was selected in honor of Luther Burbank’s birthday.
- You can visit the place where Luther Burbank conducted his plant experiments, in Santa Rosa, California. That land is now a public parked called, naturally, Luther Burbank Home and Gardens. Burbank himself is buried there.