English-American horticulturalist and author who spent two years in botanical studies at Kew Gardens before emigrated to the U.S. (1848) where he eventually became botanist on the state board of agriculture and held the position until his death. His major published work was The Native Flowers and Ferns of the United States, a series of descriptions of plants, with colored plates (4 vols.,1878-80). From 1882, as elected member of the Philadelphia Common Council, Meehan fostered an association to promote small parks in the city.