Herbal Pioneer - Madalene Louise Hill (1913-2009)
Madalene Hill was generous, giving, and encyclopedic in her knowledge of herbs. A former president of The Herb Society of America, she did much to shape the organization in the 53 years she was a member. She received several major awards from The Society, and from other horticultural organizations as well. Several plants have been named for her, as well as a garden. The Knot Garden at the National Herb Garden in Washington, D.C. is dedicated to Madalene. She founded the South Texas Unit, and was an avid supporter of The HSA Library. The Rosemary Circle, which recognized those belonging to HSA for 25 years, was her brainchild, and was later expanded to include the Golden Sage, for 50 years of membership. Madalene received her Golden Sage pin in 2006.
Madalene and her daughter, Gwen Barclay, wrote a highly regarded book, Southern Herb Growing, for which they received HSA’s Gertrude B. Foster Award for Excellence in Herbal Literature in 2005. Despite all these accolades, Madalene remained humble, curious, and always willing to share her expertise and plants with anyone. She is greatly missed.
Please visit the links below for more articles about Madalene and her accomplishments.
Major Awards:
1978— Helen de Conway Little Medal of Honor (The Herb Society of America)
1991— Professional Award (Herb Growers and Marketers Association)
1995— Lifetime Achievement Award (Texas Herb Growers and Marketers Association)
1997— Nancy Putnam Howard Award for Excellence in Horticulture (The Herb Society of America)
2005— Gertrude Foster Award for Excellence in Herbal Literature (with Gwen Barclay) (The Herb Society of America)
2006— Catherine H. Sweeney Award (American Horticultural Society)
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