… that spark color in the dormant prairie remnants of early spring are sought by everyone trying to recreate or restore prairies. However, this pretty little spring wildflower has proved difficult to establish in prairie restorations. It’s not that this species is rare. In fact, it occurs abundantly in high-quality remnants of natural prairie. Yet, it is legendary for putting up a fight for those of us who try to establish it into new prairie plantings. Not …
Type: Blog
… "flamingo flowers" throughout the year. It is pollinated by a number of tropical bees that visit the pollen sacs in a spiral up the inflorescence. The seeds are contained in a berry with juicy, sticky sap that birds try to remove by wiping their bills on surrounding woody surfaces and in the process distributing the sticky seeds on to suitable growing environments. …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… Amorphophallus titanum Titan arums are huge. The titan arum in bloom looks like a 6- to 8-foot-tall flower, but it’s actually a tall spadix (flower structure) wrapped by a spathe (a … too: leaves and flowers are powered by the largest known corm (a type of tuber) in the world. To bloom, the arum's corm gets bigger than a beach ball—some have been known to reach more than … it to blast out its scent in one big, hours-long burst. And the smell! The Indonesian name for the plant translates as “corpse flower,” an apt summary of the decaying, rancid, rotten …
Type: Page
… Fabiany Herrera , Ph.D., of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, together with lead author Monica Carvalho and Carlos … others, discovered for the first time how the tropical rainforest in South America responded to the asteroid impact that ended the reign of dinosaurs, approximately 66 million years ago. … This study also shows that it took almost six million years for the tropical rainforest to recover after the asteroid impact. Herrera highlights that if it took that much time for the …
Type: Research
… A new collaboration between Garden scientists and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is hoping to expand the range of a species once extinct in Illinois. Garden scientists, students, and collaborators are conducting research to guide recovery of the federally threatened lakeside daisy ( Tetraneuris herbacea ). Plant … have survived and are unlikely to survive over the long-term. “We suspect one reason for these declines is too little genetic diversity. This species is self-incompatible, meaning …
Type: Research
… Dahlias are indigenous to Mexico, where they were grown by the Aztecs, who used the tubers as one of their staple foods. The plants were brought to Spain and eventually spread throughout Europe, as people appreciated the beauty of the flowers … than 70,000 varieties of dahlia, about 1,500 of which are popularly grown. Here are some tips for growing these beautiful plants in the garden. Selecting a site Pick a sunny spot where, …
Type: Blog
… in varying amounts. Large amounts of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are not likely to make someone ill, whereas a lot of black nightshade (Solanum nigram) may. Want to switch up … cultivars have a sweeter flavor, and both contain high amounts of pectin, so are a good choice for canning and to add to preserves. Tomatillos (Physalis ixocarpa) prefer the same soil … area, our growing season is to short for it to bear ripe fruit. Naranjilla lovers will need to visit a Latin grocery store to purchase the fruit, which is popular in drinks, ice cream, and …
Type: Page
… might be a gall, or an injury that had healed-over. On closer inspection, the lump turned out to be a ruby-throated hummingbird nest from last summer. Although I see hummingbirds regularly … of avian architecture. Not much larger in diameter than a quarter, they are just large enough to hold the one to three navy bean-sized eggs of the hummer. For the pint-sized bird to be able to keep the tiny eggs warm during incubation requires that the …
Type: Blog
… stems. But why not grow your own cut-flower garden? You’ll save money and you only have to step outside to collect whatever you need for a vase or two. Got Sun? A little sunny spot … sow seeds directly into the soil in mid-May (after the danger of spring frost has passed) or buy a mixed flat of flowers and transplant them at that time. (Dahlias are sold as tubers or … Or pick some fragrant viburnum flowers or a colorful hydrangea and pop them into a Ball jar. Visit your vegetable garden for a few stems of kale, Swiss chard, twirling pea stems, or dill …
Type: Plant Info
… and divers return As the lakes thaw at the Garden in March and April, migratory ducks stop to feed and rest on their journeys to their northern breeding grounds. It's the perfect time for visitors to study the beautiful nuptial plumages of these water-loving species, as well as … looks like a mallard but has a huge, shovel-like bill and a large brown patch on its sides. Visit usgs.gov for more information on duck identification, or use the National Audubon Society …
Type: Page
