From Plant Press, Vol. 26, No. 1, January 2023.
My name is Carl Johnson, and I am the new Horticulturist over here in the weird and wonderful Botany Research Greenhouses. I moved to the DC area from eastern Connecticut. I got my first years of horticultural experience at Logee’s, a rare and tropical plant nursery. It was there that I developed an appreciation for unique plant species and the nuances of taking care of them. I attended the University of Connecticut earning a bachelor’s degree in Plant Science and Ornamental Horticulture. I had several on-campus jobs and extension internships. I worked in the research and student plant collections as a plant care specialist. I also interned in the plant diagnostic lab where nurseries and homeowners could send in problem plant samples for diagnosis. When the pandemic began, I started making instructional videos for house plant enthusiasts that the UConn extension would share on their YouTube page. I am coming to the Smithsonian Institution from the U.S. Botanic Garden where I worked in the Plant Collections division where I worked primarily with their aroid collection. I live in Capitol Hill Southeast with my dog Sven, a ten-year-old English Setter. My hobbies include hiking and trying out new flavors of ice cream. I am very excited to be here at the Smithsonian and to contribute to this awesome Botany Department.