… Gabriela Rocha Alvarez is the plant recorder at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Gabriela started working at the Garden as a … data analysis form the basis for curating and evaluating the plant collection that Gabriela is aiming to project. Gabriela is a social justice advocate, and she was part of the inaugural … and monitored the technical and financial aspects of the projects; she performed technical on-site verification, conducted interviews with scientists, researchers, farmers, suppliers, …
Type: Staff bio
… it as “the ugliest orchid in the world.” The not-so-pretty Gastrodia agnicellus orchid is just one of the new discoveries and developments I’ve tracked recently, as curator of the … anywhere in its range—and has not disappeared like so many others. Platanthera cristata is endangered in Illinois, found in only a few northern counties. Graceful as a butterfly In … singular orchids become targets of poachers as quickly as they are discovered. The Garden is collecting Paphiopedilum species, but only cultivated orchids that have often been bred for …
Type: Blog
… that buckthorn was not nearly as pervasive in our region in previous centuries as it is today. And they are doing something about it here at the Garden. Jim Steffen, senior ecologist … including 30 sedge, 16 woodland grass, and 25 Asteraceae species. Graduate student Nathan Lamb is also studying how invasion by buckthorn alters the seed banks of oak ecosystems in the Chicago … spread. A good way to remove stands of buckthorn and lessen the risk of spreading the plant is to remove the plants before they flower and set seed. Buckthorn plants bloom from May to June …
Type: Research
… garden or borders and occasionally fills a vase or two in the kitchen. The name Helianthus is derived from the Greek helios for sun and anthus for a flower. Vincent van Gogh paid tribute … turn their heads toward the sun, tracking it as it moves across the sky. This unusual behavior is called heliotropism, and it is almost magical. Later, as the flowers grow heavy with maturing seeds, they face east and …
Type: Blog
… Wolfsbane is a beautiful—and poisonous—fall-blooming perennial. It also has a colorful history associated … at unsuspecting enemies. One thing both Hollywood and horticulturists can agree on: wolfsbane is a potent plant. Ingesting wolfsbane is typically fatal. Arends azure monkshood ( Aconitum carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’) Lamarck …
Type: Blog
… next. Why not save save seeds from your last tomatoes so you can grow them yourself next year? 1) Make sure to save the seeds from an open-pollinated or heirloom tomato. These seeds will … reproduce the “parent plant.” 2) Choose a ripe, disease-free tomato; one past being edible is best. 3) Cut the tomato ‘around the equator’ and squeeze out the seeds and ‘goo’ in to a … the tomato variety and let dry which could take up to three weeks. The top of the refrigerator is a great place for this. 6) When dry, scrape the seed in to an envelope labeled with the …
Type: Blog
… Why Pumpkins Are Fruits and Other Cool Botany Think you know what a fruit is? Most people think of fruit as being sweet or tart, juicy or crunchy, or peel-able like a … Yep. Feeling groovy on the fruit-or-not question now? Take the Fruit Pursuit quiz below. Is This a Fruit? Click on each picture for the answer. × Yes, bell peppers are fruits. Fun fact: … × No, rhubarbs are not fruits. Fun fact: We treat a lot of fruits like vegetables, but rhubarb is a vegetable that we treat like a fruit. Close × Yes, maple samaras are fruits. Fun fact: Maple …
Type: Blog
… really interesting career histories and double-digit years of volunteer service. Larry Aronson is one of them. You’re likely to find Larry on Thursdays at his favorite volunteer station: the … it. What’s his favorite pepper to eat? It changes over time. The Brazilian malagueta pepper is a current favorite that is “better than Tabasco,” Larry says. What’s the hottest pepper he’s … pickled red peppers. Naturally, we asked if he’d share. Larry Aronson's Pickled Red Peppers 1 ounce sugar 1 ounce salt 1 cup white vinegar 3 cups water 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon pickling …
Type: Blog
… primrose, and listen to the water trickle into an eighteenth-century lead cistern—the feeling is as timeless as the tiny thyme plants growing between the hand-pressed bricks. So how do we … sure the Helen and Richard Thomas English Walled Garden withstands the rigors of time? Work is underway to enhance the English Walled Garden’s magestical tapestry. Dedicated in 1991 by … Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society was in its third year of “Growing the Future,” a $1 million pledge to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Proceeds from that year supported renovation of …
Type: Blog
… Care Department Landscape Waste Program As manager of horticulture services, Cindy Baker is responsible for the care and maintenance of more than 100 acres of ornamental landscaping. She … Baker has been involved with many projects, events, and classes at the Garden since 1988. She is a regular guest on the WGN-TV Morning News "Botanic Backyard" segments. Baker is also a frequent speaker at the American Public Garden Association's annual meetings and has …
Type: Staff bio
