• Lawson, Charles (1794-1873)

Scottish Edinburgh nurseryman who raised Lawson’s cypress, Cupressus Lawsonii, and had the specific epithet lawsonianus or Lawsonii named after him.

• Lewis, Captain Merriwether (1774-1809)

American explorer of the western part of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson. The genus, Lewisia, was named for him. He also named a genus of annual flowers, Clarkia, after his co-leader on the famous expedition, William Clark.

They also found the plants Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape holly), Gaillardia (blanketflower) and Symphoricarpos albus  (snowberry) on their journey and brought them back to the East coast of the United States.

Plants associated with Lewis include Mimulus lewisii and Philadelphus lewisii.

• Libert, Marie (1782-1863)

Belgian botanist for whom the genus, Libertia, was named. Libertia is a genus of monocotyledenous plants in the family Iridaceae.

• Ligorio, Pirro (c.1520-1583)

Roman architect and man of many interests who designed Villa d'Este and garden at Tivoli and the Ovation fountain, for Cardinal d'Este, between 1550 and the 1580s.

• Linnaeus, Carl (1707-1778)

The Swedish Professor of Medicine and Botany, who in his definitive works Genera Plantarum and Species Plantarum, classified each plant by using two words in Latin form, instead of adopting the descriptive phrases that had been in common use among the botanists and herbalists of his day.

His garden at Uppsala is a living monument to his work.

• Lloyd, Christopher (1921- 2006)

Born in the house at his wonderful garden, Great Dixter, in Northiam, East Sussex, England, Lloyd studied horticulture at Wye College, University of London. He has been a famous gardener, writer and lecturer around the world. Lloyd was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honor by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1979.

His books include:

The Mixed Border (1957) Shrubs and Trees for Small Gardens (1965) Clematis (1965, revised 1989) Hardy Perennials (1967) Gardening on Chalk and Lime (1969) The Well-Tempered Garden (1970, revised 1985) Foliage Plants (1973, revised 1985) The Adventurous Gardener (1983) The Well-Chosen Garden (1984) The Year at Great Dixter (1987)

Cottage Garden (1990) Garden Flowers from Seed (1992) Christopher Lloyd’s Flower Garden (1993) In my Garden (1993) Planting Your Garden (1993) Other People’s Gardens (1995) Gardener Cook (1997) Dear Friend and Gardener (1998) Christopher Lloyd’s Garden Year (1999) Christopher Lloyd’s Garden Flowers (2000)

Plants associated with Christopher Lloyd or Great Dixter include Gazania 'Christopher Lloyd' and Ranunculus ficaria 'Brazen Hussy'.

• Lobb, William (1809-1864) and Thomas (1817-1894)

The Lobbs are considered the first plant explorers who went in search of new plants primarily for commercial purposes. Prior to their expeditions, most others were funded by public gardens or scientific organizations. Their employer was the Veitch Nursery of Cornwall, England.

Plants associated with them include Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle tree), Berberis darwinii, Crinodendron hookerianum, Cryptomeria japonica, Hydrangea lobbii, Luma apiculata, Ribes lobbii, Rosa 'William Lobb', Sequoiadendron giganteum and Tropaeolum speciosum.

• Lobelius, Matthaeus (1538-1616) or L'Obel, Mathias de

Flemish botanist who moved to England where he became botanist to King James I.

The plant genus, Lobelia, and the botanical family, Lobeliaceae, are named after him.

Plants associated with him include Ulmus x hollandica 'Lobel' and Acer lobelii.

• London, George (d.1714)

A pupil of John Rose and for a time, gardener to Henry Compton, Bishop of London, at Fulham Palace. He visited the Palace of Versailles when he was in the service of the Earl of Portland and later, in collaboration with Henry Wise, laid out similar formal design gardens at many English estates.

In King James II's reign, London and Moses Cook (gardener to the Earl of Essex), Lucre (gardener to the Queen Dowager at Somerset House), and Field (gardener to the Earl of Bedford), joined in founding the celebrated Brompton Nurseries.

George London is most associated with the design of Petworth, Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth, Studley Royal (Yorkshire) and Newby Hall (Yorkshire).

• Lonitzer, Adam (1528-1586)

German botanist for whom the genus, Lonicera (honeysuckles) was named.

 

• Loudon, John Claudius (1783-1843)

Journalist and "encyclopedist", in 1822 he made the first complete record of hardy trees then known in his astonishing Arboretum et Fructicetum Britannicum. The huge book was shortened in 1842 to 1,200 pages and published as Trees and Shrubs of Great Britain.

He is said to have coined the expression 'gardenesque style'. In this garden style, the characteristics of individual trees, shrubs and perennials are emphasized rather than in masses. Each plant is given enough space to grow to its natural size without being encumbered by surrounding plants in the landscape.

• Lutyens, Sir Edwin Landseer (1869-1944)

English architect both of country houses and public buildings; designed the Cenotaph, Whitehall; the city plan and viceroy's house in New Delhi, the British Embassy at Washington and Liverpool Roman Catholic cathedral. Associated with the design of Great Dixter garden with Gertrude Jekyll.

He designed the house and garden at Bois des Moutiers near Dieppe, the gardens at Hestercombe in Somerset, Castle Drogo in Devon, Knebworth House in Hertfordshire and many other houses and gardens.

• Lyon, John (1765-1814)

Scottish gardener and botanist who had the specific epithet, lyonii, named for him. Plants with this name include Chelone lyonii, Pentachaeta lyonii, Prunus lyonii and Epigeneium lyonii.