Stuff Mom Never Told You · iHeartPodcasts

Activists Around the World: Dr. Charlotte M. Taylor

April 7, 2026·10 min

The episode is part of the show's recurring 'Activists Around the World' series, released during April Earth Month to highlight environmental figures. Hosts Annie and Samantha introduce Dr. Charlotte M. Taylor, described in multiple publications as one of the most prolific female botanists alive today. Taylor is a professor and researcher at Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri, where she specializes in taxonomy — the scientific discipline of classifying, naming, and understanding the relationships between organisms. Her work focuses specifically on the plant family Rubiaceae, which includes plants used for coffee and quinine tonic. Taylor has spent over 40 years conducting fieldwork across Latin America, including Chile and Colombia, as well as in the United States, because Latin America holds the highest concentration of plant species. She describes taxonomy as imposing a scientific framework on the natural world so that other scientists can use and build upon the knowledge. Taylor has strict rules and formal codes governing how new species can be named, and she recounts naming one South American plant after its sweet taste, similar to stevia. As of December 2023, Taylor has described more than 500 new plant species, placing her in the top three most prolific female botanists to describe new species in all of recorded history. The other two women above her in the historical ranking are deceased, making Taylor the only living botanist to have reached that milestone. Taylor was entirely unaware of her ranking until a team of researchers studying women's contributions to botany reached out to her. The 2020 study, titled 'Acknowledging Female Role Models in Botanical and Mycological Taxonomy,' was conducted by researchers from Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and the University of Cambridge. Taylor described receiving the message as a total shock, saying she had to read it twice. She attributes her high output to simply doing her job at Missouri Botanical Garden, which she describes as a major institution with around 60 other taxonomists. Her upbringing contributed to her career path: her mother had a degree in natural history, her father was a wildlife biologist, and both parents were avid birdwatchers who spent much of their family time outdoors. Taylor originally thought she would become an ecologist but was drawn to taxonomy because she loves mysteries and puzzles. Over time her work shifted from field collection to writing and documentation, which she describes as essentially writing reference books for science. The hosts note that women have long participated in botany but have not always been welcomed, and they draw a parallel to a previous episode about a female botanist of color who was a pioneer in the field. Taylor is also recognized for mentoring younger women and helping open pathways for diversity in botany. The hosts express admiration that Taylor's passion was so intrinsic she never measured her own impact until others pointed it out.

As heard by us

A botanist's extraordinary record feels personal when she learns its scale from researchers.

Charlotte Taylor gives this episode a quietly strong center. The Missouri Botanical Garden scientist has described 500 new plant species over 41 years, making her the most prolific living female author of new plant species and the third most prolific female botanist in history…

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Why you'd press play

Press play when you want a scientific milestone with the very human surprise of learning you had been making history all along.

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