OBFS Event

Patrick is a naturalist, ecologist, and horticulturist. He is currently the horticulturist for the Town of Cary, NC. Prior to joining the Town of Cary, he served as Director of Horticulture for Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh, NC, Director of Heronswood Garden in Kingston, WA, and Director of the South Carolina Botanical Garden at Clemson University, where he also served as the Glenn and Heather Hilliard Professor of Environmental Sustainability. He is an expert at plant exploration, describing species new to science and the selection and introduction of new taxa and cultivars into the trade, most from the Southeastern or Southwestern United States. He earned his BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina and his PhD from Clemson University. He is the first author of "A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina" (2022) and is also well-known as the host, producer and writer of the popular Emmy-award winning TV program “Expeditions with Patrick McMillan” which aired on PBS stations nationwide. Biological stations were extremely formative to his professional development and his passion for conservation.