Expert to present wildflower talk on Thursday

Dennis Horn, one of the country’s most renowned wildflower experts, will present a talk on wildflowers on Thursday evening in Oak Ridge.

The talk is presented by the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society. It’s scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, in the City Room at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge.

Horn is the author of “Wildflowers of Tennessee, The Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians.” His book has been called “…the most complete, comprehensive, and informative filed guide ever published on the flora of this region. Sponsored by the Tennessee Native Plant Society, this labor of love has been 14 years in the making. The result is a landmark achievement that brings the beauty and uniqueness of wildflowers to amateurs and experts alike,” the press release said.

The book contains maps, drawings, and more than 800 color photos.

Horn has traveled from the Mississippi River to the Blue Ridge Mountains for more than 40 years, studying and photographing Tennessee wildflowers, the press release said.

Horn is an engineer, naturalist, amateur botanist, and wildflower photographer who makes his home in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He is currently vice president of the Tennessee Native Plants Society and also a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for Rare Plants in Tennessee.

After Horn’s program in Oak Ridge on Thursday, there will be a book signing and sale.

Celebrating 50 years in 2015, this program is one of many lectures and activities that will be offered this year by the UT Arboretum Society, the press release said. The free program is being co-sponsored by the UT Forest Resource and Education Center, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014.

The Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center is one of 10 outdoor laboratories located throughout the state as part of the UT AgResearch system. AgResearch is a division of the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Institute of Agriculture also provides instruction, research, and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension offices, with locations in every county in the state.

Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge is located at 701 Briarcliff Avenue in Oak Ridge.

To learn more about this lecture or the UT Arboretum Society, go to the Arboretum website. For more information on the program, call (865) 483-3571.