Susan Worthington (1944-2022 )

Botanical artist Susan Worthington (BA. Dip. A. Hons. Tchg.) was born in Stratford, attending primary school in Waverley and secondary school at Marsden. Susan then studied botanical painting in the United Kingdom, first at West Dean College in 2001 and at Kew Gardens in 2002, before moving to the Kapiti Coast.

In June 2004 New Zealand Post released five stamps of her artworks depicting garden flowers. Two of the flowers had Taranaki connections – a Rhododendron ‘Charisma’ from Pukeiti and a Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ bred by Felix Jury at Tikorangi. A sixth painting of another Jury magnolia, ‘Black Tulip’, featured on the first day covers.

In 2003 Susan was selected to exhibit at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society art show where she won a silver medal for her paintings of New Zealand native plants. She also exhibited paintings of rhododendrons at the 2005 RHS Show in Birmingham.

Susan was a committed supporter of Pukeiti and compiled a portfolio of more than 30 Vireya species growing in the Trust’s garden.

In 2008-09 she was invited to contribute three works to the Highgrove Florilegium which illustrated plants and trees growing in HRH The Prince of Wales' (now King Charles III) garden at Highgrove in Gloucestershire. The Florilegium paintings were Rhododendron 'Scarlet Wonder' and Rhododendron 'Purple Splendour'. Her third painting was of an English horse chestnut.

Susan Worthington received the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2013 and died in February 2022.