Charles Wilkins Short (October 6, 1794 – March 7, 1863) was an American botanist.

Short received his primary education from the well-known teacher Joshua Fry.

[1] In 1838, Short helped establish a medical school in the University of Louisville.

[1] Upon retiring, the university's board of trustees named him professor emeritus of Materia Medica and Medical Botany.

[4] Short made a botanical expedition along the Ohio River between March 1845 and April 1845.

[8] Short was considered to be the most well-known botanist west of the Alleghenies during the middle of the 19th century.

These include the Kentucky pearlwort (Stellaria fontinalis) and the top-pod water lilly (Ludwigia polycarpia).

Short also wrote about plant life specifically in the vicinity of Lexington, Kentucky.

[12] In 1825, Short became chair of Materia Medica and Medical Botany at Transylvania University.

[17] Additionally, after retiring, Short owned a garden that spanned several acres.

In that year, he also inherited a considerable fortune from his uncle, William Short.

[19] Charles Wilkins Short died of pneumonia and typhoid fever in Louisville, Kentucky on March 7, 1863.