May A. Moir
American orchid breeder, botanical collector (1907–2001)
May Arstad Moir (née May Margaret Arstad; 1907–2001) was an American floral designer, gardener, horticulturist, orchid breeder, writer, and botanical collector in Hawaii. She was awarded the title of one of the "Living Treasures of Hawai'i" (1985). She was also known as May Arstad Neal, and May Arstad Neal Moir.
Life and career
May Margaret Arstad was born on December 4, 1907, at Kap'iolani Maternity Home in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, and she was raised in Kaimuki. She graduated from Punahou School.
In 1928, she married Charles Micajah Neal Jr., and together they had a daughter. She briefly worked with Charles in real estate. Her first husband died in 1949, and a year later she re-married her friend William Whitmore Goodale Moir.
Moir and her husband William were known for their extensive gardens at their Dowsett Highlands home in Honolulu, which is registered with the Smithsonian Institution.
She was the namesake of some 6 or more orchid species, of which was a Dendrobium named D. "May Neal, and a Miltonia named Miltonia May Moir, both bred and named by her second husband.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “May A. Moir” is american orchid breeder, botanical collector (1907–2001). The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Moir, American and orchid, not as a finished interpretation.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q108802926. VIAF identifies the subject as 93272750. The Library of Congress control number is n77005623. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1907, 2001, 1985 and 1928.
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This entry incorporates text from “May A. Moir” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.