Racine To Auction Einstein-Linked Begonia In November
The Racine Literacy Council will host an online auction from November 1-8 to fund its local educational programs.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Botany
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The Racine Literacy Council is holding an online auction from November 1-8, 2026, for a begonia plant descended from one formerly owned by Albert Einstein. This plant, grown from a cutting, will be sold to benefit local educational programs.
Why it matters
This auction leverages a rare botanical lineage to fund free educational programs for the Racine community. It highlights how historical provenance can be used to drive charitable outcomes for local literacy initiatives.
The auction features a single specimen grown from a cutting received in June 2026. Bidding starts at $1,000, with all proceeds directed to local literacy services.
The players
Racine Literacy Council
A local organization that provides free educational and literacy programs to residents in Racine, Wisconsin.
Albert Einstein
The theoretical physicist who maintained a well-known begonia in his Princeton home until his death in 1955.
Annette Fournier
The grower who cultivated this specific begonia specimen from a lineage cutting.
The details
The plant is a direct descendant of the begonia Albert Einstein kept at his home in Princeton, New Jersey, a lineage famously documented by Princeton University. Annette Fournier propagated this specific specimen from a cutting. The winner is required to pick up the plant in person and is prohibited from using it for commercial cultivation.
Timeline
The online auction for the begonia occurs from November 1-8, 2026.
Annette Fournier received the plant cutting in June 2026.
The Tech Race
This auction follows the tradition of the Princeton begonia lineage documented in May 2025. It shifts the plant's profile from an academic curiosity to a philanthropic asset for the Racine Literacy Council.
Racine residents can participate in the auction online starting November 1, 2026. Because the winner must collect the plant in person, participants should ensure they can fulfill pickup requirements.
The takeaway
The event showcases how legacy biological specimens can serve as high-value instruments for local community fundraising. Interested parties can reach the Racine Literacy Council at 262-632-9495 to confirm details before the bidding period closes on November 8.
Further reading
Learn more about local botanical initiatives and heritage plants at the Botany section.
More information
To place a bid, visit the Online plant auction portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Racine County Eye.
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