Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector
PROLOGUE BEGIN WITH A PLANT Its petals looked like tiny slippers and green pods dangled from its stems Other people might have huffed Weed and gone on their way But not Charles He scraped the grasslike plant from the soil and hurried back to his college laboratory Charles Stewart Parker loved plants and he loved learning about them He wanted to know where when why and how they grew He wanted people to go into the wondrous green world and maybe with his help learn to love plants too
Charles grew up surrounded by green green forests where conifers tickled the sky green banks washed by the rolling Spokane River and the lush everywhere green of Spokane Washington And like the winds over the green grasses of the Palouse Charles S. Parker moved fast
On the racetrack he drove his legs over the finish line and in the classroom his quick mind raced through homework and good books Folks called him brainy boy The brainy Charles came from a family of achievers a barber inventor a businesswoman a debater two champion athletes and a quick fingered pianist The talented Parkers believed in working hard and helping others
