MEET THE PLANTS OF THE ARTIST PLANT CONSERVATORY
JADE PLANT (CRASSULA OVATA)
GEORGIA O'KEEFFE
Acquired 2019 from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum/Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM.
In Georgia O’Keeffe’s Abiquiú home and studio, the presence of plants like the jade plant reflected her deep connection to nature. Her kitchen windowsill featured thriving houseplants, including geraniums, aloe, and jade, which have survived since her time
CHERRY PLUM (PRUNUS CERASIFERA)
VINCENT VAN GOGH
Acquired 2023 from Vincent Van Gogh
House Museum. Brabant, NL
A descendant of the cherry plum tree from Vincent van Gogh’s childhood garden still blooms today. Did this tree, with its delicate spring blossoms, ignite his love for flowering trees?
FIG
SALVADOR DALI
Acquired September 2023 from Fundacio Gala- Salvador Dalí in Puból (Spain)
The fig tree in the collection is grown from a cutting taken from Castle Púbol’s courtyard during a cloudburst at sunset. Salvador Dalí transformed the 12th-century Castle of Púbol into a sanctuary for his wife and muse, Gala. Acquired in 1969, the castle underwent meticulous restoration under Dalí’s guidance, blending historical preservation with surrealistic elements. The gardens, designed by Dalí, feature sculptures of long-legged elephants.
LONAS annua
SALVADOR DALI
Acquired 2023 from the Fundacio Gala- Salvador Dalí in Puból (Spain)
In the Dutch nursery we cultivate a specimen of Lonas annua, commonly known as yellow ageratum, originating from Salvador Dalí’s residence in Port Lligat. Gala Dalí, his wife and muse, adorned their home with these soft yellow everlasting flowers, creating a serene ambiance against the whitewashed walls and irregular-shaped windows.
OAK
JOSEPH BEUYS
Acquired September 2024 in Düsseldorf (GE)
Among our collection are oak saplings from Joseph Beuys’ 7000 Oaks project, an extensive environmental art initiative that began in 1982 in Kassel, Germany, aiming to promote urban renewal and ecological awareness through the planting of 7,000 oaks, each accompanied by a basalt stone.
CYPRESS (CUPRESSUS SEPERVIRENS)
SALVADOR DALI
Acquired September 2023 from the Salvador Dalí House Museum Port Lligat (Spain)
Salvador Dalí’s 1934 painting, "Morning Ossification of the Cypress", features two elongated cypress trees with a horse suspended mid-leap between them. This surreal imagery reflects Dalí’s fascination with cypress trees, which also prominently adorned his residence in Port Lligat. The cuttings in the collection are from the cypress, towering beside stairs leading up to the high terrace.
AKEBIA
HERMAN DE VRIES
Acquired 2024 from the garden in Eschenau (GE)
“When life ends, it continues, endlessly and seamlessly.” - herman de vries, an artist and observer of life in its purest form. He fancied the idea of being a plant nestled between Piet and Vincent. He carefully took several cuttings of his favorite plant, the vigorous Akebia—also known as the chocolate vine or five-leaf akebia—that had entwined itself around his clotheslines. Last year, the cuttings traveled by train, in a suitcase, from Eschenau.
TAXUS Baccata
PIET MONDRIAAN
Aquired September 2024, Oostkapelle (NL) (via Staatsbosbeheer Zeeland)
During Piet Mondrian’s frequent visits to Domburg between 1908 and 1915, he often cycled through the woods, drawing inspiration from the unique play of light filtering through the foliage and the distinctive shapes of the trees. Among these, a particular low-crowned yew tree, shaped by the relentless sea breeze, captivated him. This tree’s quirky form became a pivotal muse in his artistic journey, leading to the creation of “The Grey Tree” in 1911. This painting marked a significant transition towards abstraction, influenced by Cubism,.Today, cuttings from this very tree are preserved in our collection, offering a living connection to Mondrian’s transformative period in Domburg.
SANSEVIERA PLANT
GRANT WOOD
Acquired 2016 Via Tripp Evans, Author of, "Grant Wood: A Life"
This plant is the first in the conservatory's collection to be identified & collected. It is depicted in the background of what is known as America's most iconic painting, "American Gothic," making a foreground appearance in the portrait of Wood's mother, "Woman with Plants".
BLACK PINE (PINUS THUNBERGII)
ISAMU NOGUCHI
Acquired 2018 Noguchi Museum Queens, New York
Isamu Noguchi saw no separation between the natural world and art. He believed that sculpture was not just an object but a way to shape space and experience, often drawing inspiration from nature’s forms, materials, and rhythms. His work reflects an organic sensibility, whether in his stone sculptures, paper lanterns, or landscape designs.
Noguchi was deeply inspired by nature’s processes—erosion, weathering, and the interplay of light and shadow. He once said:
“I like to think of gardens as a sculpturing of space.” - Isamo Noguchi
BEGONIA (BEGINIA MACULATA)
ALBERT EINSTEIN
Acquired 2025, Princeton, NJ.
Einstein was particularly fascinated by the harmony in nature, which he saw as a reflection of deeper universal laws. He famously said:“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”.
After his passing in 1955, his secretary, Helen Dukas, shared cuttings of this begonia with several of Einstein’s colleagues and their spouses in Princeton.
ENGLISH IVY (HEDERA HELIX)
VINCENT VAN GOGH
Acquired 2023 from Vincent Van Gogh
House Museum. Brabant, NL
This Ivy originated from Dr. Gachet's garden in Auvers and was planted on the graves of Vincent and Theo Van Gogh. Dr. Gachet was a homeopath and artist who took care of Vincent in the final months of his life.
AGAVE PLANT
SALVADOR DALI
Acquired September 2023 from Fundacio Gala- Salvador Dalí in Puból (Spain)
An agave cutting from Salvador Dalí’s Castle in Púbol. This medieval edifice, transformed by Dalí into a sanctuary for his wife, Gala, features meticulously designed gardens where agave plants thrive, reflecting the arid beauty of the Catalan landscape.
SPIDER PLANT (CHLOROPHYTUM COMOSUM)
LEE KRASNER
Acquired 2018 Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, Springs, NY.
Our second plant added to The Artist Plant Conservatory was collected on a trip to the Pollock-Krasner house and study center one autumn afternoon In 2018.