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Plant Patents: Plant Patent Pictures

Parade of Plant Patent Art

Plant Patent Presentation. Click the arrows to scroll through the slides.

The First Plant Patent

Roses and the IP Revolution

Orange Patent

Spanbauer's Rose

King of all Avacadoes

First Blueberry Patent

Blueberry Champion

Patent Debut of the Apple

World's Fair Rose

Statesman's Flower

Maine Carnation

Not-So “New and Improved” Peach

Peach King

A Strawberry Short Patent

Picture of a Strawberry Patent

Radioactive Lily!

Picture of a lily patent

Streamlined Rose

Picture of a rose patent and a newspaper clipping about it.

A Burbank Rose

The biggest irony in plant patents relates to Luther Burbank. Burbank, a legendary figure in horticulture, was very skeptical about the theory behind plant patents, and died before plant patents began. Nevertheless, his estate went on to obtain 16 plant patents in his name! This one from 1932 was entitled simply "Rose".

Burbank Ironic Potato

Luther Burbank’s most successful plant variety was the Russet potato. Developed in 1873, the Russet potato was larger than other potato varieties, and disease resistant, including resistant to Phytophthora infestans, helping prevent future outbreaks like the one that caused the Irish Potato Famine.”. Today, 70% of all potatoes grown in the USA are Russets. Nevertheless, it is ineligible for a plant patent, because plant patents are only for asexually reproducing non-tubers.

Paul’s Poinsettias

This 1936 patent was issued to Paul Ecke of Encinitas, California. It was one of more than 30 patents he received for poinsettias. Paul Ecke was known as the “Poinsettia King” and at one point his company controlled 90% of the poinsettia market.

Patents from the Gallery

Use the links below to see the actual patents from the above gallery. The pictures will not be in color.

Acknowledgements

This Gallery of plant patents was made possible by the full-color Plant Patents Image Database of the University of Maryland. While all plant patents are available through the USPTO Patent Public Search, but the USPTO doesn't have color images.