Maria Tallant Owen (February 13, 1825 – June 8, 1913) was an American botanist who compiled a detailed record of 19th century flora and algae on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.

[1] Born Maria Tallant in Nantucket, she grew up in a wealthy family and was descended from some of the earliest white settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

[1] On her European excursions, Owen expanded her botanical collections to include specimens she found there.

The group remained viable for about 25 years, and held its first annual meeting in Amherst, Massachusetts on October 1, 1873.

The Springfield Botanical Society was established in 1877 and consisted of weekly meetings with members contributing specimens from near and far for their own herbarium.