Cynthia Westcott

Cynthia Westcott (June 29, 1898 – March 22, 1983) was an American plant pathologist, author, and expert on roses. She published a number of books and handbooks on horticulture and plant disease. She identified the cause of the plant disease Ovulinia azaleae and a novel treatment for it.

Early life Cynthia Westcott was born in North Attleboro, Massachusetts on June 29, 1898. She received her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College in 1920. She was able to get a full-time research assistantship at Cornell University from Herbert Hice Whetzel, head of the department of plant pathology. Although she was often assigned menial jobs as the only woman student, her work in the materials room gave her extensive experience in drying, pressing, and preserving specimens and preparing microscope slides for the classes in plant pathology. She also became aware of the importance of clean lab procedures. Westcott lived at the Sigma Delta Epsilon house for graduate women scientists, where she planted her first rose garden and test garden for the use of sprays. Westcott contributed significantly to research on the genus Sclerotinia, a group of fungi of great interest to mycologists and plant pathologists. She received her Ph.D. in plant pathology from Cornell in 1932, after completing a thesis on brand canker, caused in roses by Coniothyrium wernsdorffiae. During her yearly Rose Day, she opened her test plots and gardens to the public and served punch and cookies for up to 700 visitors. As of 1968, she was the only self-employed phytopathologist in the country. The American Rose Society's National Convention with the Jackson and Perkins Company named a hybrid tea rose flower "Cynthia" in Westcott's honor in 1975.

Awards and honors American Horticultural Council (1955)

Personal life Cynthia Westcott died of a heart ailment on March 22, 1983 at Phelps Memorial Hospital in North Tarrytown, New York.

Works Westcott, C. (1937). The Plant Doctor: The How, Why, and When of Disease and Insect Control in Your Garden. New York: Frederick A. Stokes. Westcott, C. (1946). The Gardener's Bug Book; 1,000 Insect Pests and Their Control. New York: American Garden Guild and Doubleday. Westcott, C. (1950). Plant Disease Handbook. New York: Van Nostrand. Westcott, C. (1952). Anyone Can Grow Roses. Toronto: Van Nostrand. Westcott, C. (1953). Garden Enemies. Princeton, NJ: D. Van Nostrand. Westcott, C. (1957). Plant Doctoring is Fun. Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand. Westcott, C. (1961). Are You Your Garden's Worst Pest? Garden City, NY: Doubleday. Westcott, C. and Jerry T. Walker, eds. (1966). Handbook on Garden Pests. Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Westcott, C. and Peter K. Nelson, eds. (1980). Handbook on Biological Control of Plant Pests. Special issue of Plants & Gardens, Vol. 16, No. 3. Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Botanic Garden.