About Lois Wythe
Lois Renk Wythe was the inspiration and the driving force behind the creation of the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society and North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum.
Moving to Idaho
In 1977, Lois and her husband, renowned architect, Joseph Wythe, returned to her native state of Idaho. Lois brought with her a great love of the Northwest, its ecology and its people. They settled in Sandpoint and became involved in the community as founding members of a number of organizations.
In her first small garden, Lois created raised beds and produced bountiful harvests of organic vegetables. After moving to a larger farm on Rapid Lightning Creek, she expanded her raised bed gardens to include fruits, berries, and culinary and floral herbs. She sold her herbs from a shop on the Cedar Street Bridge, but later built a log cabin in her gardens where she could do both growing and selling.
Making positive contributions
As a Master Gardener, Lois was instrumental in the inclusion of organic gardening in the Master Gardener's course. Her success in gardening highlighted the need for a local outlet for fresh produce leading to her help in creating the Sandpoint Farmers' Market.
KNPS and the Arboretum
Her life-long interest in good stewardship of our natural environment led Lois to found the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society (KNPS). In December 1998, Lois and the newly formed KNPS made a proposal to the Sandpoint City Council. KNPS would create and maintain a Native Plant Arboretum on 1.18 acres of rough ground in Lakeview Park.
The Arboretum would be a beautiful garden, preserve fast-disappearing native plant species, provide the public with information and hands-on experience of native plants, and encourage their use in landscape settings. The city council accepted the proposal; the fulfillment of a dream and the beginning of a long-term labor of love for KNPS.
Lois' legacy
For her many community accomplishments, Lois was chosen as a Woman of Wisdom in 2001. While the KNPS Arboretum is her living legacy, the lifetime bonds of friendship she developed were what she considered her finest gift to the community. Lois Wythe passed away on July 21, 2011.
Lois Wythe's writings on native plants are archived as KNPS historical documents at the Bonner County History Museum. Many of the books she had collected on herbs, gardening and related subjects are in the East Bonner County Library as the Lois Wythe Book Collection.
A sampling of her articles on native plants (including hand-drawn illustrations) can be found here: download Lois’ articles.