Theodore Payne in His Own Words: A Voice for California Native Plants
Theodore Payne, an Englishman, arrived in California in 1893 and soon began his life's work as a nurseryman and preserver of California native plants.  In his lifetime (1872-1963) he brought many wildflowers into cultivation and saved much of the native flora from disappearing.  He was a delightful observer of people and the early California scene.