… The popularity of agave-based drinks like tequila and mezcal is at an all-time high in the United States. And that is bad news for agaves. As Hector Ortiz, Ph.D., plant conservation scientist at the Negaunee Institute , explains in this video, agaves have provided humans with food, fiber, and drinks for millennia. But the recent popularity of these drinks has fueled the expansion of …
Type: Blog
… Room R.S.V.P. by calling (847) 835-8333 Exclusive Travel Opportunity: The Gardens of Rome and Florence Join an exclusive tour to some of the most beautiful gardens in Europe with Kris Jarantoski, executive vice president and director of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The tours (and all entry fees) of 11 gardens are included in a ten-day trip to Rome and Florence, from …
Type: Event for Calendar
… stunning beauty of their usually large flowers, which emerge prior to the foliage in spring, and are often fragrant. While shades of pink are the most common bloom color, the Magnolia palette also includes white, yellows and purples. Another dominant feature is a prominent fruiting body of small follicles forming a cone-like shape. The species range from small trees to very large trees and shrubs. Magnolias are an ancient genus that appeared before bees; early pollinators are …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… White flowers cover this small tree/large shrub in mid-spring. However, they are delicate, and an early spring storm can quickly send them cascading to the ground. Foliage emerges with a … flowers fade but become dark green when fully open. Dark purple fruits ripen in early summer and are quickly devoured by birds. Fall color ranges from yellow to orange to red. Members of the … pinkish) in spring, edible berries in early summer, attractive foliage color in fall and interesting bark/branch structure in winter. Common names for amelanchier include juneberry …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… are reddish-brown before becoming large enough to peel. The ovate leaves are sharply toothed and turn yellow in the fall. Dahurian birches are native to the woodlands and mountain slopes of Japan and eastern Asia. The primary ornamental feature of birch trees is the bark. Many of the common …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… tree would be overwhelming. The genus Metasequoia is derived from the Greek meta (with) and Sequoia. It shares the same plant family as the bald cypress — as well as its deciduous … — as in "the dawn of time"). Living plants were not found until 1941 in western China. Seeds and herbarium specimens were not collected until 1947, after the cessation of World War II, and did not make their way outside China until 1948, when one seed lot was received by the Arnold …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… grass was an important part of the tall grass prairie, providing an important food source and winter shelter for a range of insects, small mammals and birds, and even bison. Bad Hair Day switch grass is an upright grass of about 6 feet in height and 7 …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… is a tree form of lilac with a rounded habit that produces abundant fragrant white blooms and features exfoliating amber colored bark for winter interest. It is a Chicagoland Grows® … Grows® is a plant introduction partnership of the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois formed to promote plant cultivars … the genus Syringa , commonly known as lilacs, are shrubs or small trees prized for their showy and fragrant blooms in late spring. The individual flowers are tubular in form and are borne in …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… of its usually abundant pale purple blooms. This multi-stemmed shrub has an irregular outline and can become leggy over time. Syringa vulgaris is the wild species from which all modern lilac … cultivars are derived. Hybridization efforts have tended to focus on bloom color, fragrance, and overall habit of the plant. The species is native to rocky hillsides in the Balkan Peninsula … the genus Syringa , commonly known as lilacs, are shrubs or small trees prized for their showy and fragrant blooms in late spring. The individual flowers are tubular in form and are borne in …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… How I grew a prairie on my balcony—and how you can, too City spaces may seem limiting when it comes to plants, but even a small … condo, I turned our 5-by-10-foot balcony into my personal green space, where I can de-stress and enjoy my little piece of “Horto in Urbs.” Although there are more than 400,000 plant species … Verbena hastata ) The Pot Struggle is Real First hurdle: winter. Chicago winters are no joke, and pots are a tough environment for roots compared to deep and insulated prairie soil. I felt I …
Type: Blog
