Theodore_Payne Theodore Payne was born in Northamptonshire, England in 1872 and served an apprenticeship in horticulture. He moved to Los Angeles in 1893 and fell in love with the California flora, dedicating his life to its preservation.Even in the early years of this century, native vegetation was being lost to agriculture and housing at an alarming rate. He urged the use of California native plants and lectured across the state on preserving the wild flowers and landscapes native to California.