author
Charles Sprague Sargent
1841–1927
A pioneering American botanist, he spent more than half a century shaping Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum into a major center for the study of trees and woody plants. His writing helped introduce generations of readers to North American forests.
1 Audiobook
Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) 2nd ed.
by Charles Sprague Sargent
About the author
Born in Boston in 1841, Charles Sprague Sargent became one of the best-known American botanists of his era. He is most closely associated with Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum, where he served as the first director and remained in that role until his death in 1927.
Sargent is remembered for his work in dendrology—the study of trees—and for helping build the Arnold Arboretum into an important place for research, collecting, and public education. Harvard’s own history of the arboretum credits him with leading the institution in its early decades and working with Frederick Law Olmsted on its layout.
His legacy also lives on through his publications, which focused especially on the trees and forests of North America. For readers interested in the natural world, he stands out as a careful observer who helped make botanical knowledge more widely available.