Native Plants
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia
Bill (W.D.) (1913-1996) and Dolphia Bransford (1915-2015) moved from San Angelo to Kingsland, Texas in 1950. There they established the first fish camp in the area. A carpenter, Bill built small cabins and a larger building which served as a general store.Bill was interested in photography so he and Dolphia would set out in their camper taking pictures of wildflowers and scenery along the way. After plants were photographed, Dolphia researched them and recorded their botanical name, family and common name on each slide. The Bransfords would travel for two or three months at a time and eventually visited nearly every corner of the United States and Canada. They spent 40 years pursuing their favorite pastime and stopped only when Bill’s vision diminished.
At the beginning, Bill photographed plants mostly from a distance, often too far to see enough detail necessary to identify his subjects. Dolphia encouraged him to get close-ups of the plants so that they could be identified and so that their full beauty could be appreciated. Many times he would lie flat on the ground to get the perfect shot. His extra effort shows in the quality of his photographs.
Bill enjoyed presenting prints of his photographs in collections, displaying images of entire genera or families in a single frame. In one case, it took six years of effort to get the photograph of a single species necessary to complete one of these framed collections.
Wishing to find a suitable, permanent home for their work, Mr. and Mrs. Bransford began donating their slide collection to the National Wildflower Research Center in 1987 and were privileged to enjoy Mrs. Johnson’s company on several occasions. Over the years, countless thousands of visitors to this website have enjoyed the work and study of this devoted couple.
Today, the nearly 4500 native plant slides contributed to the Wildflower Center by Bill and Dolphia Bransford remain one of the largest image collections in the NPIN Image Gallery.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to developing the premier resource for native plant images in North America through continued growth of the Plant Image Gallery. You can help us achieve our mission ...to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants, and landscapes... by becoming a contributor.
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |
Veratrum viride | Green False Hellebore Green Corn Lily | |
Veratrum viride | Green False Hellebore Green Corn Lily | |
Verbesina virginica | Frostweed White Crownbeard Iceplant Iceweed Virginia Crownbeard Indian Tobacco Richweed Squawweed | |
Veronica wormskjoldii | American Alpine Speedwell Alpine Speedwell | |
Veronica wormskjoldii | American Alpine Speedwell Alpine Speedwell | |
Verbena xutha | Gulf Vervain | |
Viburnum acerifolium | Mapleleaf Viburnum Maple-leaf Viburnum Maple-leaf Arrowwood Arrowwood | |
Viola adunca | Hooked-spur Violet Western Blue Violet Western Dog Violet | |
Viola adunca | Hooked-spur Violet Western Blue Violet Western Dog Violet | |
Viola adunca | Hooked-spur Violet Western Blue Violet Western Dog Violet | |
Vicia americana | American Vetch American Deervetch | |
Viola aurea | Golden Violet | |
Viola blanda var. palustriformis | Sweet White Violet | |
Viola canadensis | Canadian White Violet Canada Violet | |
Viola canadensis var. rugulosa | Creepingroot Violet Canadian White Violet | |
Viguiera cordifolia | Heartleaf Goldeneye | |
Viola cucullata | Marsh Blue Violet Blue Marsh Violet Thin Leaf Wood Violet | |
Viguiera dentata | Plateau Goldeneye Sunflower Goldeneye Toothleaf Goldeneye Chimalacate Golden-eye | |
Viguiera dentata | Plateau Goldeneye Sunflower Goldeneye Toothleaf Goldeneye Chimalacate Golden-eye | |
Viguiera dentata | Plateau Goldeneye Sunflower Goldeneye Toothleaf Goldeneye Chimalacate Golden-eye | |
Viola douglasii | Douglas' Golden Violet | |
Viola flettii | Olympic Violet | |
Viola glabella | Pioneer Violet Smooth Yellow Violet | |
Viola glabella | Pioneer Violet Smooth Yellow Violet | |
Viola glabella | Pioneer Violet Smooth Yellow Violet | |
Viola hallii | Oregon Violet | |
Viola hallii | Oregon Violet | |
Viola labradorica | Alpine Violet American Dog Violet | |
Viola labradorica | Alpine Violet American Dog Violet | |
Viburnum lantanoides | Hobblebush | |
Viburnum lantanoides | Hobblebush | |
Viola lanceolata | Lance-leaf Violet Bog White Violet | |
Viola lanceolata | Lance-leaf Violet Bog White Violet | |
Viola lobata | Pine Violet Yellow Wood Violet | |
Viola lobata | Pine Violet Yellow Wood Violet | |
Viola ×lovelliana | Lovell's Hybrid Violet Lovell Hybrid Violet | |
Viola macloskeyi ssp. pallens | Smooth White Violet | |
Vitis mustangensis | Mustang Grape | |
Viola nephrophylla | Northern Bog Violet Wanderer Violet Entire-leaved Prairie Violet Small Mottled Blue Violet | |
Viola nuttallii | Nuttall's Violet Yellow Prairie Violet Prairie Yellow Violet | |
Viola nuttallii | Nuttall's Violet Yellow Prairie Violet Prairie Yellow Violet | |
Viola ×palmata | Early Blue Hybrid Violet Trilobed Hybrid Violet Palmateleaf Hybrid Violet | |
Viola ×palmata | Early Blue Hybrid Violet Trilobed Hybrid Violet Palmateleaf Hybrid Violet | |
Viola ×palmata | Early Blue Hybrid Violet Trilobed Hybrid Violet Palmateleaf Hybrid Violet | |
Viola pedata | Birdfoot Violet Bird's-foot Violet Bird-foot Violet | |
Viola pedata | Birdfoot Violet Bird's-foot Violet Bird-foot Violet | |
Viburnum prunifolium | Blackhaw Smooth Blackhaw Blackhaw Viburnum Smooth Blackhaw Viburnum Stagbush | |
Viola ×primulifolia | Primrose-leaf Hybrid Violet Primrose-leaved Violet | |
Vicia pulchella | Sweetclover Vetch | |
Viola pubescens | Downy Yellow Violet Downy Violet Hairy Yellow Violet Yellow Violet Common Yellow Violet | |
scientific name | common name(s) | image gallery |