International Carnivorous Plant Society

Larry Mellichamp

Lifetime Achievement Award

Larry Mellichamp is one of the few eminent botanists who have made the study of Sarracenia a life's work. Beginning in the late '60s and early '70s, Dr. Mellichamp established a new taxonomic view on the genera while maintaining the Botanical Gardens at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. During his tenure there, he was responsible for the creation of a plethora of popular Sarracenia hybrids that remain common nursery stock to this day (in fact, Larry was in-part responsible for publishing the first Sarracenia cultivars in the early days of the CPN). Many beginning growers of CPs have started out with a plant created by Larry, including Sarracenia 'Bug Bat', S. 'Ladies in Waiting', S. "Bog Witch", and S. 'Cobra Nest', among many others.

Unusually among botanists, Larry was also a popular writer in horticulture, helping spread the same passion in his books on native plants of the southeast that he put into his academic pursuits. Most prominently in his name are the large works "Native Plants of the Southeast: A Comprehensive Guide to the best 460 Species for the Garden" published in 2014, and "The Southeast Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden", written with the help of his long-time colleague Dr. Paula Gross and published in 2020. He has been directly involved with the ICPS since the beginning, serving as an early contributor and editor for many years since the '70s. Larry remains a valuable educator and authority on Sarracenia in his retirement as Professor of Botany, Emeritus and a cherished friend within and the ICPS.

Tributes published in CPN

  • Carson Trexler. 2021. The ICPS presents the ICPS Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Larry Mellichamp. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 50(1):5-6. (PDF)
  • Audrey Mellichamp and Paula Gross and Carson Trexler and Tom Diggs and Peter D'Amato. 2023. Thomas Lawrence Mellichamp, 'Dr. M'. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 52(1):4-9. (PDF)

Articles by Larry Mellichamp in CPN

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1977. Botanist's Corner. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 6(1):17-18.

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1977. Beginner's Corner: Light. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 6(2):25-26. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn062.lm245

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1977. Botanist's Corner. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 6(2):41-42. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn062.lm500

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1977. Botanist's Corner: Flowers, Sex, and Hybridization in Carnivorous Plants. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 6(3):57-58. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn063.lm245

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1977. Botanist's Corner : Flowers, Sex, and Hybridization in Carnivorous Plants. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 6(4):73. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn064.lm866

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1978. Botanist's Corner: The Genera of Carnivorous Plants. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 7(1):17-20. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn071.lm180 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1978. Botanist's Corner: Botanical History of CP I: Sarracenia. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 7(2):56-59. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn072.tm942 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1978. Botanist's Corner: Botanical History of CP II: Darlingtonia. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 7(3):82-85. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn073.lm114 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1978. Propagating Common Droseras. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 7(3):87-88. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn073.lm335 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1979. A Brief History of Nepenthes at Longwood Gardens. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 8(1):15-19. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn081.lm834 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1979. Botanist's Corner: Botanical History of CP III: Nepenthes. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 8(1):30-33. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn081.lm346 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1979. CPN as the Registration Authority for Cultivars. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 8(3):79-81. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn083.lm356 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1979. Botanist's Corner: Botanical History of CP IV: Heliamphora. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 8(3):86-89. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn083.lm651 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1979. The Correct Common Name for Heliamphora. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 8(3):89. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn083.lm702 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1979. Botanist's Corner: Botanical History of CP V: John M. Macfarlane. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 8(4):121-122. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn084.lm931 

Mellichamp, Larry. 1980. Editor's Corner: What is our society about?. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 9(4):87-88. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn094.lm500 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1981. Horticulturists' Corner. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 10(1):16-17,26. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn101.lm678 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1981. Horticulturists' Corner: Are there any ants in your plants?. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 10(2):52-53. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn102.lm138 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1982. Field Studies on CP at UMBS. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 11(1):10-11,13. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn111.lm290 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1986. Carnivorous Plant Culture in Holland. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 15(1):12-15. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn151.lm688 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1986. What do the Names Mean?. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 15(3-4):60-63. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn153-4.lm172 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1987. Descriptions of Sarracenia alabamensis ssp. alabamensis, S. oreophila, S. jonesii. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 16(2):31-36. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn162.lm470 

Mellichamp, T.L.. 1987. The Formation, Publication, and Registration of Cultivars. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 16(2):37-39. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn162.lm706 

Mellichamp, T.L. and Gardner, Rob. 1987. New Cultivars of Sarracenia. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 16(2):39-42. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn162.cv920 

Mellichamp, Larry and Rob Gardner. 1998. New cultivars of Sarracenia from North Carolina: Sarracenia 'Dixie Lace' and 'Ladies-in-Waiting'. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 27(2):38-40. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn272.lm143 

Mellichamp, Larry. 2008. New names for natural hybrids in Sarracenia. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 37(4):112-117. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn374.lm492 

Larry Mellichamp. 2016. A tribute to David Crump (1953-2016). Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 45(3):113. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn453.lm677 

Hawken Carlton and Alexandre Letertre and Phil Faulisi and Larry Mellichamp. 2016. New cultivars. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 45(3):118-126. https://doi.org/10.55360/cpn453.cr390 

 

 

 

 

Larry Mellichamp (1948 – 2022).

It is difficult to do taxonomy of carnivorous plants of the southeast USA without seeing notations on herbarium specimens by Larry Mellichamp.