Orchids and Butterflies The Life and Times of Theodore Mead

About this book

In this historically accurate biography, Paul Butler paints a vivid picture of the life and times of Theodore Mead. As a young man, Mead 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 America's most distinguished entomologists and horticulturists. But despite this success, a significant part of his life remained unfulfilled. Orchids and Butterflies is ultimately the story of one man's search for meaning in life.

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Biography

Paul Butler came to the USA from England in 2009. As a John Wiley author, he has a publication record of over 100 papers, book chapters and technical textbooks. He lives in Winter Park, FL and is a hobby grower of orchids, bromeliads, caladiums and amaryllis.