… theme at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Mistletoe—a plant that typically inspires romance—is actually a parasite. The plant’s roots penetrate the bark of a host plant and steal its …
Type: Blog
… Tim Pollak is the Manager, Plant Production at the Garden, where he has worked since 2001. As part of his job, he is the grower and buyer of all the plants for the seasonal annual displays, containers, hanging … other media and appears regularly on local TV news segments to discuss gardening topics. He is also a regular instructor for the Joseph Regenstein Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden. …
Type: Staff bio
… With a National Science Foundation grant, the Chicago Botanic Garden is working with international collaborators in Southeast Asia to study the distribution and … of an economically important group of plants. With approximately 70 species, Artocarpus is the third largest genus in the plant family that contains figs and mulberries (Moraceae). … By collecting location data, herbarium samples, and DNA from plants, the goal of this project is to produce a comprehensive taxonomic revision of Artocarpus with discussion of character …
Type: Research
… The first moth to emerge in the Butterflies & Blooms exhibition is the Atlas moth ( Attacus atlas) , which is native to Southeast Asia. The Atlas moth lives for one to two weeks, so its main purpose after emerging from its cocoon is to mate. Most moths do not have functioning mouthparts, and the Atlas will not feed at all. It …
Type: Blog
… Restoring destroyed or damaged ecosystems is necessary to tackle global issues like climate change, soil health, clean water, and … restored populations are unlikely to be able to deal with changing day-to-day conditions at a site—think polar vortexes followed by record heat in February—let alone adapt to changing … in the peer-reviewed journal Restoration Ecology. Full article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/rec.13131 Photo by Tom Kaye: A population of golden paintbrush ( Castilleja …
Type: Research
… industry know, the concept of “social distancing” in harvesting crews and packing plants is not feasible on the scale needed to feed our population. That presents challenges for those on … and turn part of our carefully manicured lawns into home vegetable gardens. Besides, there is a benefit beyond the crops raised. It’s called horticultural therapy: taking care of plants … on the history of Victory Gardens and tips on how to build a garden yourself . I believe it is time to revisit the tradition of Victory Gardens. The Garden is here to help. …
Type: Blog
… a good container? A: One of the things I’m always thinking about when I’m doing a container is height. When you first plant a container, all of the plants are very small. But a month later … between the different foliage. It makes the container more interesting if something is not in bloom. Salvia ‘Balsamispim’ Mystic Spires Blue™ Improved Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ … the best thing about planting containers? A: What’s interesting and fun about containers is you have to know a little bit about what each plant is going to do. The salvia is tall, and so …
Type: Blog
… song—translated as “Hey, sweetie,” (though you can’t often hear the third syllable)—is reserved for late winter, spring, and summer, when the bird is courting and nesting. Nothing brightens a mid-February day more than when a chickadee sings … with white cheeks makes it easy to identify. Photo © Carol Freeman The black-capped chickadee is considered a non-migratory species—it can survive the harsh winters of northern Illinois. …
Type: Blog
… the shape of the pumpkin has the idea. The pumpkin determines what you’re going to carve. How is it going to sit? Is it a “Bert” or an “Ernie”? (A Bert has a more elongated shape, while an Ernie has a round, well, pumpkin head. Obenchain is cultivating a large pumpkin this year that has a sort of crocodile look to it.) What are your …
Type: Blog
… of Japan. One of the two pines species most popular in a Japanese garden, the black pine is symbolic of the seashore and referred to as on-matsu (the male pine), because of masculine … acidic soil and full sun to grow well. As these requirements imply, the black pine is not very suitable for our region. Japanese black pine before pruning. Notice how its shape is restored and more light can reach the inside and lower branches of the tree after pruning. In …
Type: Blog
