Leonardo da Vinci was known as a painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer but what else is he given credit for in the world of plants and trees?
Spoiler Leonardo da Vinci was known for his meticulous realism in drawing plants and trees which, even now, makes each one readily identifiable to the botanist. As an artist and observer he recorded the precise appearance of plants, the manner of growth and the way that individual plants and flowers of a single variety differed from one another. His notebooks contain information as well about how light reflects from foliage at different distances and under different atmospheric conditions. Apart from detailed drawings of plants his books were found to contain many drawings of crop plants too including several types of grain and a variety of berries. His notes also directed the artist to observe how light reflects from foliage of trees and plants at different distances and under different atmospheric conditions. What a genius the man was and how I wish I could have met him!!
Leonard da Vinci was the first to record that the number of rings in the cross section of a tree trunk revealed its age. He also discovered that the width between the rings indicated the annual moisture.
