… lucky enough to see an oriole nest will most likely agree. It can take a week to ten days for the female to complete her nest. She’ll then lay three to seven pale eggs blotched with brown, which hatch in 11 to 14 days. The young remain in the nest for another 11 to 14 days, getting fed constantly by their parents, until they’re able to hop out … to early September, the orioles start singing again—often shorter songs—before they leave for winter vacation. …
Type: Blog
… Ever see a tree or even a weed and wonder what kind of plant it is? We’d love for you to stumble across the answer—right in front of you. Inspired by a movement by French botanists, my 5-year-old daughter and I decided to become street botanists for the day. We would identify plants in the neighborhood and write their names in chalk on the … and other organisms. The key gives you a series of choices to help lead you to your choice. For kids who want to learn more, you can order a leaf identification kit. The kits help you …
Type: Blog
… size, odd shape, and terrible stench (hence its common name, corpse flower). Plants bloom for a single day every seven to ten years, and it is nearly impossible to predict the day it will … in the Regenstein Center. (We have named our titan arum Spike because when you grow a plant for 12 years, you start to think of it as a child.) Spike is growing several inches every day. We …
Type: Blog
… A striking century plant is putting on a show in the final stages of its life—it’s blooming for the first and only time in 27 years. The succulent sends up a tall stalk of blossoms right … stalk grow in a rosette to funnel water to the base of the plant and their waxy coating allows for better water storage. The energy required to push up the flower spike causes the leaves to …
Type: Blog
… herb of the year. “What?” you might be thinking. “What about basil?” Discover a world of uses for your herb harvest—essential and flavored oils, vinegars, jams and jellies—at Herb Garden … Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist at the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden, who likes dill for both its flavor and growing habits. “It’s my favorite tasting herb, especially with fish, … freshener. I’d Have the Thyme Versatility—and a pleasing bloom—makes thyme the herb of choice for Celeste Vandermey, supervisor of plant records. “Thyme adds flavor and aroma to any soup or …
Type: Blog
… What is it, you ask? Some of the most unusual plants our Production Greenhouse team grow for our display gardens are six species of Echium, a biennial plant that produces giant spikes … into smaller pots to establish healthy root systems, before placing them in a cool greenhouse for the winter. The following spring, they are transplanted into their final growing container …
Type: Blog
… recognizable and beloved wildflowers, but there are a few things you may not know about them. For one thing, there are several wild species of Rudbeckia growing in the region and several cultivars with bigger and/or fancier flowers that have been developed for people’s gardens. My favorite, sweet black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) , is a native … cleaning this species is wonderful! Sweet black-eyed Susan is a sweet addition to any garden for several reasons: it is a native species, a long-lived perennial, adaptable to several …
Type: Blog
… was crisp, and the nights were frosty: parsnip weather. Cold weather is actually a good thing for parsnips—in fact, they need it to convert the starch in their roots to sugar, transforming … parsnips can be a bit fussy about germination. Knowing that, here’s the strategy we employ for sowing: Plant fresh seed. Parsnip seed viability is short, so plant only newly purchased …
Type: Blog
… 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 … genetically different individuals remain in a population, it will not be able to produce seeds for the next generation,” said Rafael. “I hope my research will bring stakeholders together, …
Type: Research
… Want to grow your own orchids? We’ll help you choose which ones are right for you. Assistant Horticulturist Chester Jankowski provided these basics on four kinds of … Intergeneric hybrid Cattleya Cattleya come in almost every color (just not blue) and are known for their large, fragrant flowers. You might recognize them from being commonly used in orchid …
Type: Blog
