Orchids And Butterflies: The Life And Times Of Theodore Mead

The story of aman who transformedornamental horticulture in America. In this historically accurate biography, Paul Butler paints a vivid picture of the life and times of Theodore Mead. As a young man he hunted butterflies in Colorado, discovering dozens of new species. Later, as a Florida citrus and tropical plant grower, he amassed a huge collection of orchids and imported ornamental plants from all over the world, cross-breeding them to produce new varieties.

Life was anything but easy as a pioneering settler in Florida. He faced bouts of malaria, the harrowing loss of his only daughter to scarlet fever, the catastrophic financial damage of the great citrus freeze of 1894/95, and the brutal excesses of the Medfly crisis of 1929/30. Theodore Mead helped keep Florida a Land of Flowers, and was one of Americas most distinguished entomologists and horticulturists.

But despite this success, a significant part of his life remained unfulfilled. Orchids & Butterflies is ultimately the story of one mans search for meaning in life.