François André Michaux

Born near Versailles on August 16, 1770, he was the son of the botanist André Michaux and grew up close to plants, travel, and scientific collecting. He accompanied his father to North America as a young man and learned botany firsthand while exploring the landscapes and forests of the United States.

He later returned to the United States on his own travels, studying its woods, agriculture, and rural life. He is best known for Histoire des arbres forestiers de l'Amérique septentrionale, a major work on the forest trees of North America, and for travel writing that helped European readers picture the land, people, and natural riches of the early republic.

Michaux died on October 23, 1855. Remembered as both a botanist and a traveler, he left behind a record of North American plant life that remained influential long after his expeditions ended.