Thomas S. Elias

Dr. Thomas S. Elias was Director of the US National Arboretum in Washington, DC for over 16 years. A native of Illinois, Dr. Elias received his Ph.D. in Biology with a dissertation on the taxonomic study of the genus of plants in the coffee family in 1969. An acclaimed expert on regional trees and plants, Dr. Elias has numerous publications to his credit including two esteemed field guides: The Complete Trees of North America, Field Guide and Natural History and Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Because of his distinguished accomplishments in the field of wild plants, foraging, plant science and horticulture, he was honored by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists with their Cooley Award and by the New York Botanical Garden with a Distinguished Service Award. He also has a special interest in the art of bonsai, playing a key role in the development and oversight of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and regularly contributing to Bonsai Magazine as well as the National Bonsai Federation’s Bulletin. He lives in Claremont, California with his wife.