… graduate program run by Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Flower timing is critical for many reasons. For the earliest of the spring bloomers, earlier flowering provides … spring blooms known as ephemerals, these early foragers would go hungry because nothing else is in bloom. In return for pollen and nectar, bees and other pollinators move pollen from flower … us a better understanding for how certain plant species will respond to climate change, which is signaling many plant species to flower earlier than in the past. Samantha Danguilan is a …
Type: Blog
… the Garden's research capacity to address priority management needs. Ultimately, our goal is to play a leading role in supporting the conservation, management, and restoration of native … agricultural ecosystems and to train the next generation of scientists. Much of my research is carried out with students as part of the Garden’s graduate program in Plant Biology and … opportunities to learn how to care for and understand natural areas. Our natural areas team is working to make natural history data on Mary Mix McDonald Woods available - the following …
Type: Staff bio
… The sun was out, the air 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 … dishes. We used a pitchfork to loosen the dirt deeply around each parsnip top—a gentle harvest is required, as parsnips are brittle and can snap if eager hands try to pull the roots by their … that, here’s the strategy we employ for sowing: Plant fresh seed. Parsnip seed viability is short, so plant only newly purchased seed every year. Sow heavily. We’ve found that …
Type: Blog
… watercolor paintings of flowers and insects, embroidery patterns, and copper engravings, she is also credited with being the founder of German entomology. At age 13 she began studying the … century. Nine species of butterflies, six plants, and two beetles were named for her. She is still a well-known historic figure today and is represented on the 500 deutsche mark banknote and a German postage stamp; she was the subject …
Type: Blog
… to conserve fungi in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. “The conservation of fungi is significantly lagging behind efforts for animals and plants, but we are making considerable … Dr. Mueller. The workshop and symposium were funded by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation. This is one of three fungal conservation workshops that Mueller is co-leading this year; the others were in the United Kingdom and Australia. Photo: Participants …
Type: Research
… diversity of fossil plants and animals. The Early Cretaceous of Mongolia in particular is well known for its fossil dinosaurs and other vertebrates, but fossil plants from Mongolia are … and China that are yielding new, exceptionally well-preserved fossil seed plants. Our goal is to understand the diversity and evolutionary implications of these fossil plants. The fossils … and Cretaceous age “whole plants” from multiple co-occurring fossil organs. Our research is adding significantly to knowledge about extinct seed plants during the Jurassic and Early …
Type: Staff bio
… scientist who invented dozens of products for peanuts. What’s most important about his story is why he devoted so much time and ingenuity to peanuts and how he did so much more than make a … and Marie Clark Taylor, who studied how light affects plant growth). Instead, this snapshot is devoted to celebrating how one humble scientist used his botanical superpowers to solve a real-world problem. It is a story about successfully tackling agricultural sustainability and economic stability at the …
Type: Blog
… Lorin Fox is the grower for the woody plants, perennials, and aquatics in the Plant Production department. His job is to produce high-quality plants for the Garden's plant collection and special displays. Fox …
Type: Staff bio
… on the native bees of Chicago. “We were really surprised by this finding, but what it means is that this endangered species can handle urban environments. Now we need to figure out why that is and what we can do,” said Gruver. Gruver’s research will improve conservation efforts to …
Type: Research
… delighted to see a special guest star at the Tropical Greenhouse: Alice the Amorphophallus is on display, in full and glorious fruit! Visitors are asking: why are some of the berries on … You can see the difference on Alice’s infructescence (fruit stalk) , too: the stalk is curving. As the chubby, seed-filled fruits from Stinky’s pollen continue to ripen and enlarge, the structure is bending over the small, non-viable fruits from Spike’s pollen. Each of the berries produced …
Type: Blog
