About the Connecticut Botanical Society

We know the WILDFLOWERS and FERNS sections of our website are broken. We are working on resolving the issue. In the meantime, please access the WILDFLOWERS and FERNS information from the Internet Archive.

We are a group of amateur and professional botanists who share an interest in the plants and habitats of Connecticut and the surrounding region. The society was founded in 1903. Our goals are to increase knowledge of the state's flora, to accumulate a permanent botanical record, and to promote conservation and public awareness of the state's rich natural heritage.

Botanical Society Activities

  • We run field trips, led by knowledgeable botanists, on weekends from spring to fall. The trips provide a great opportunity to learn about wild plants and about the state's diverse ecosystems. Field Trip Schedule.
  • We hold meetings in spring and autumn, each with an illustrated lecture by a naturalist or other scientist. Next meeting.
  • We publish a semi-annual Newsletter with botanical articles and news.
  • We started a small grants program for conservation projects.
  • We created the Connecticut Botanical Society Herbarium, a "dried plant library" with over 36,000 sheets of plants. This collection records the changing distribution of Connecticut flora. Our herbarium is integrated with the Yale Herbarium at the Peabody Museum.
  • We created and maintain the Vascular Plants of Connecticut Checklist, a comprehensive list of plants that grow wild in the state. The list is available free for download.
  • Along with the Connecticut College Arboretum and the Connecticut Urban Forest Council, we collect and distribute information on Notable Trees: the state's historic trees and its largest trees.

Grants

We are now accepting applications for our Small Grants Program. Applications for 2025 must be submitted by April 15, 2025.

We are now accepting applications for our Small Grants Program. The Small Grants Program provides funding for land conservation projects that provide protection of rare or uncommon native plant species or natural communities, or areas of high native diversity.  We also consider habitat improvement projects, protection of open space in low-income and urban communities, and assistance with fund-raising for projects that meet the above criteria.

Awards are in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 and applications must be submitted by April 21, 2025.  Visit our Grants Page for additional information.

Membership

Connecticut Botanical Society is open to anyone interested in plants, conservation, and natural history. Non-members are welcome to attend our field trips and meetings before joining. Membership information.

Archives

The Archives of the Connecticut Botanical Society are held at Connecticut College's Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives.