Learn How Citrus Shaped Civilization During 2026 John Dwyer Lecture

Learn How Citrus Shaped Civilization During 2026 John Dwyer Lecture

Dr. David Mabberley will share the ancient history of some of the world's most popular fruits

ST. LOUIS - Dive into the fascinating history of citrus, a global superfood with ancient roots, at the 2026 John Dwyer Lecture at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

From the ancient world to the breakfast table, citrus fruits have flavored, scented, healed, and colored our world for centuries. Join botanist, educator and writer Dr. David Mabberley, as he discusses the role of these extraordinary fruits in culture and signs his new book Citrus: A World History.

The lecture, sponsored by the Missouri Botanical Garden and Saint Louis University's Department of Biology, is free and open to the public. It will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, in the Bayer Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Professor David Mabberley AM, is a British-born botanist, educator, and writer. His extensive scientific interests include the taxonomy of tropical plants, with a particular focus on trees belonging to the families Labiatae, Meliaceae, and Rutaceae. Dr. Mabberley is the author of 27 books on botany and ecology, is globally renowned as the author of Mabberley's Plant-book: A Portable Dictionary of Plants, their Classification and Uses.

The annual John Dwyer Lecture honors the memory of Dr. John Dwyer, a professor of biology at Saint Louis University and a research associate of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The office of the President at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Department of Biology at Saint Louis University are proud to honor this memory by bringing inspiring scientists to a public audience in St. Louis.

This year's lecture is made possible with the additional support of the William L. Brown Center for Ethnobotany at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Event Details

• WHAT: 2026 Dwyer Lecture featuring Dr. David Mabberley
• WHEN: 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 4
• WHERE: Bayer Event Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd.
• COST: Free; no registration required.

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious Catholic research institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 13,300 students a rigorous, transformative education that challenges and prepares them to make the world a better place. As a nationally recognized leader in research and innovation, SLU is an R1 research university, advancing groundbreaking, life-changing discoveries that promote the greater good.

About Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden's mission is "to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life." Today, 167 years after opening, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a National Historic Landmark and a center for science, conservation, education and horticultural display.