… walk of the Garden. Or did you say cow slobbers? Whatever you call it, Tradescantia ohiensis is just one of the prairie plants that has a unique story to tell. Tradescantia ohiensis , better … are replaced by new flowers, prolonging the blooming period. Another interesting feature is its other common name, cow slobbers. If you break a leaf, you will understand how this common … form as it stretches between your fingertips. By the way, the “wort” part of spiderwort, which is commonly used to describe many plants (figwort, moneywort, mugwort, liverwort), simply means …
Type: Blog
… pesticides (including DDT), and the creation of osprey nesting platforms, the fish-eating bird is breeding again in local forest preserves. The osprey looks somewhat like an adult bald eagle, … counties. This year, the Chicago Botanic Garden installed an osprey nesting platform, and is waiting to see if a pair will find it to their liking. According to officials of the Cook … off the platform. Watching an osprey grab a meal can be fascinating. The bird appears as if it is going to plunge head-first into the water, but then it straightens its head and grasps the …
Type: Blog
… at workplaces, in government, in science, etc. Unfortunately, the number of women in science is still pretty dismal. Despite earning about half the doctorates in science, only 21 percent of … we recognize that our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility is some of the most important work we do. On International Women’s Day, we pay tribute to women in science at the Garden, past and present: Left to right: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D., is studying hawkmoth pollination with Victoria Luizzi (Amherst College student, NSF REU student, …
Type: Blog
… determined that Spike had run out of the energy it needed to continue its bloom cycle. Spike is powered by energy from the sun, stored in its beach-ball-sized corm—a tuber-like underground … giant flower structure that a titan can send up in its first decade or so of life (Spike is about 12 years old). OVERHEARD: “I WISH MY BIOLOGY TEACHER WAS HERE.” As this week’s expected … texture,” Herendeen said. “The color inside varies from one plant to another in nature. It is dark maroon, the color of rotting meat, which is meant to attract the flies and beetles that …
Type: Blog
… From the 2015 archives: It is our pleasure to introduce another titan arum (in bloom!), which we have joyfully named Alice … the Amorphophallus. Given the history below, it’s a name to remember! Alice the Amorphophallus is caught blooming on webcam at 12:22:39 a.m. today—the Semitropical Greenhouse may smell a bit … titanum presented itself, we called it Spike, since the flower structure, or inflorescence, is also known as a flower spike. But the true name of Spike (and Alice) is a title that can make …
Type: Blog
… a few obstacles, but discovered some positive surprises along the way. Windy City Harvest is part of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s urban agriculture program that strives to bring food, … about the situation. It really does take my mind off of it and makes me forget that COVID-19 is even a thing.” “Being at the Farm has been really calming, especially during COVID-19. It … It’s been lots of fun and it feels like a second family." Ordinarily, youth farmers work on-site and attend in-person workshops, five days a week for eight weeks. This year, because of the …
Type: Blog
… the Chicago Botanic Garden’s plant breeder. So let’s go seek out the elusive wild phlox. Phlox is predominantly a North American genus (one species sneaks into Siberia) best known for its … × procumbens ‘Pink Profusion’ PPAF Phlox ‘Violet Pinwheels’ PPAF You may ask,“And where is the plant exploration in this story?” I’m getting there! Most of the phlox species simply … on road edges where the occasional mower or bulldozer damage clears out the competitors. It is that or scramble up steep cliffs and talus slopes, or venture out on to harsh alkaline flats, …
Type: Blog
… These are all examples of stories I’ve heard through Plant Love Stories. Plant Love Stories is a project dedicated to collecting and sharing stories about the plants that affect our lives. … with all of our botanical affections, sometimes the line between Plant Love and Plant Hate is very, very thin. We have a genre of stories we call “Love/Hate” stories, tales of plants that … of pollination, the more I admire this tree. The effort it goes to ensure reproductive success is nothing short of amazing. Angry parrots, disgruntled neighbors, a conceited young botanist, …
Type: Blog
… A Paphiopedilum, or lady slipper orchid, is another popular orchid with collectors: it prefers high humidity and indirect light, faring … do you ensure early success? Just as we learned in our first video, Repotting Orchids, Part 1: Phalaenopsis , it’s always best to repot your orchids shortly after purchasing them—the … candidate in the Garden and Northwestern University’s Plant Biology and Conservation program, is an expert in all things orchids, both native and tropical. She took some time this past fall …
Type: Blog
… will experience reduced reproduction when there are fewer pollinators around. But reproduction is just one part of the plant life cycle and the question remains: Do changes in pollination translate into population consequences for plants? If the plant is short-lived, then we would expect changes in pollination to have large effects on population …
Type: Research
