Thomas Jefferson and the Plants of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The article focuses on Thomas Jefferson's botanical interests and his role in promoting the scientific exploration of the American West, particularly through the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Jefferson, a respected naturalist and president of the American Philosophical Society, commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to collect and document plants during their 1804–1806 journey, resulting in the introduction of numerous native species to eastern gardens and nurseries. The text details several significant plants collected on the expedition—such as Osage orange, indigo bush, prairie flax, bitterroot, Clarkia, Oregon grape holly, Mandan corn, Arikara bean, tobacco, golden currant, snowberry, and pawpaw—highlighting their botanical characteristics, cultural uses, and subsequent cultivation. The article also underscores Jefferson's lifelong enthusiasm for natural history and his vision of westward expansion as a scientific and agricultural opportunity.