American horticulture affirms his stature 
among his peers: Sargent, one of the great den- 
drologists of his era, who brought the Arnold 
Arboretum to prominence, and Bailey, a man 
of astoundingly broad interests and accomplish- 
ments who combined the science of botany 
with the art of horticulture. Meehan pursued 
similar combinations and was interested not 
only in the world of horticulture but in using it 
for the betterment of his fellow citizens. 
It is worth pondering what Meehan would 
think if he were to see the state of contempo- 
rary horticulture. Certainly, many if not most 
of the trees that are commonly planted across 
the Northeast would be familiar to him. Having 
straddled the divide between native and non- 
native plants, he might think that there would 
be no need for invidious comparisons between 
the two groups. And he might be bemused at the 
trends in “new” native plants, having promoted 
many of those species in his various publica- 
tions and through his nursery. If nothing else, 
although his name may have faded, Thomas 
Meehan’s impact as a promoter of modern hor- 
ticulture has not. 
Endnotes 
! Oberle, S.G. 1997. The influence of Thomas Meehan 
on horticulture in the United States. University of 
Delaware, M.S. Thesis Dissertation 
2 Meehan, T. 1853. The American handbook of 
ornamental trees. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo, 
and Co. 
3 Sargent, C.S. 1890. Silva of North America (vol. 9). 
New York: Peter Smith. 
* Meehan, T. 1878. The native flowers and ferns of the 
United States in their botanical, horticultural, and 
popular aspects (vol. 1). Boston: L. Prang. 
° Meehan, S.M. 1902. A brief sketch of the life of 
Thomas Meehan. Meehan’s Monthly, 12: 13-19. 
© Harshberger, J. W. 1899. The botanists of Philadelphia 
and their work. Philadelphia: T. C. Davis. 
7 Meehan, T. 1896a. Meehan letter to C.S. Sargent, 16 
August 1896. Charles Sprague Sargent (1841-1927) 
papers, Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library, 
Harvard University. 
8 Meehan, T. 1896b. John Bartram’s wood-shed. 
Meehan’s Monthly, 6: 17. 
9? Meehan, 1902. 
10 Meehan, 1902. 
11 Oberle, 1997. 
Thomas Meehan 61 
12'§. 1893, September. The Meehan Nurseries and the 
trees of Germantown. Garden and Forest, 6(289): 
377-378. 
13 See, for instance: Hoopes, Bro. & Thomas. 1870. 
Annual trade list of the Cherry Hill Nurseries, West 
Chester, Pa.: Spring of 1870. West Chester, PA: Hoopes, 
Bro. & Thomas. 
14 Del Tredici, P. 2017. The introduction of Japanese 
plants into North America. The Botanical Review, 83: 
215-252. 
1S Thomas Meehan of Germantown. 1876, April. Reading 
Times (Reading, PA), 37(22): 2; An interesting display. 
1876, May. The Daily Evening Express (Lancaster, PA), 
39(105): 2: 
16 Burr, S.J. 1877. Memorial of the International 
exhibition. Hartford: L. Stebbins. 
17 Rothrock, J.T. 1880. Catalogue of trees and shrubs 
native of and introduced in the horticultural gardens 
adjacent to Horticultural Hall in Fairmount Park, 
Philadelphia. 
18 Meehan, T. 1876. Horticulture at the Centennial. The 
Gardener’s Monthly, 18(212): 254-256. 
19 Germantown Nurseries. 1882. General price list for 
the fall of 1882. Germantown, PA: Germantown 
Nurseries. 
20 Meehans’ Nurseries. 1895. Catalogue. Germantown, 
PA: Thomas Meehan & Sons. 
2I Meehan, T. 1886. Note on Quercus dentata. 
Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 
Philadelphia. 38: 280-281. 
22. Meehans’ Nurseries, 1895. 
23 Meehans’ Nurseries, 1895. 
24 Del Tredici, P. 2005. Against all odds: Growing 
Franklinia in Boston. Arnoldia, 63(4): 2-7. 
25 Oberle, 1997. 
26 The Gardener’s Monthly. 1888, February. Garden and 
Forest, (1)1: 1. 
27 Meehan, 1878. 
28 Notes. 1891, March. Garden and Forest, 4(161): 144. 
29 Meehan, T. 1897. In Bartram’s Garden. Meehan’s 
Monthly, 7: 50. 
30 Harshberger, 1899; Meehan, 1902. 
3! Pry, J. 2004. John Bartram House and Garden. Historic 
American Landscape Survey, (HALS) PA-1. 
32 Pry, 2004; Meehan, T. 1885. The old botanic garden of 
Bartram. The Gardener’s Monthly and Horticulturist, 
2,7: 26-27. 
33 Meehan, 1885. 
34 Notes. 1889, February. Garden and Forest, 2(52): 86. 
35 Fry, 2004. 
36 Notes. 1889, March. Garden and Forest, 2(54): 120. 
Anthony S. Aiello is the associate director of conservation, 
plant breeding, and collections at Longwood Gardens. 
