Vera Higgins Explained

Vera Higgins (1892-1968) was a British botanist, author, translator and botanical illustrator known for being an authority on succulents and cacti, particularly Crassulaceae.^{[1] [2]} She graduated from Cambridge University and worked at the National Physical Laboratory. Higgins was the first editor of The Cactus Journal of the Cactus & Succulent Society of Great Britain, beginning in 1931 and continuing until 1939 when the Society closed because of World War II. She then edited the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society between 1939 - 1945. She was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London in 1945 and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Victoria Medal of Honour in 1946.^{[3] [4] [5]}

Her drawings are housed at the Royal Horticultural Society.^{[6] [7] [8]}

Among the books that she wrote and illustrated are:

• Naming of Plants by Vera Higgins 1937 E. A. Arnold and Co.
• Study of Cacti by Vera Higgins 1950 Blandford Press
• Rock gardens and their plants by Wilhelm Schacht, translated and edited by Vera Higgins. 1963 Blandford Press
• Succulents in Cultivation by Vera Higgins 1964 Blandford Press

Plant varieties named after her include:

• Graptosedum 'Vera Higgins', intergeneric hybrid succulent between Graptopetalum paraguayense and Sedum stahlii

Notes and References

1. Book: Hadfield . Miles . Harling . Robert . Highton . Leonie . British Gardeners: A Biographical Dictionary . 1980 . Zwemmer Books . 9780302005415 . 149 . 3 October 2018 . en.
2. Obituary: Vera Higgins, M.A., F.L.S., V.M.H. . Gardeners' Chronicle, Horticultural Trade Journal . 1968 . 27 . 3 October 2018 . Haymarket Publishing . en.
3. Book: Horwood, Catherine. Gardening Women: Their Stories From 1600 to the Present.
4. Web site: Graptosedum 'Vera Higgins' . San Marcos Growers . 3 March 2022.
5. Web site: Fellow Records . The Linnean Society . 3 March 2022.
6. Book: Desmond . Ray . Dictionary Of British And Irish Botanists And Horticulturists Including plant collectors, flower painters and garden designers . 1994 . CRC Press . 9780850668438 . 340 . 3 October 2018 . en.
7. Book: Foster . J. . Sheppard . J. . British Archives: A Guide to Archive Resources in the UK . 2016 . Springer . 9781349652280 . 437 . 3 October 2018 . en.
8. Web site: Higgins, Vera (1892-1968) Botanist . discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk . The National Archives . 3 October 2018.