… of prairie surrounded by pavement and farmland. Their future largely depends on our ability to restore the prairies they evolved with—but in countless prairie restorations, the violets are … and how all these factors influence genetic diversity—things get complicated. “As we developed best practices for reintroducing violets, we started thinking about all these missing species and … and let common blue violets ( Viola sororia ) grow in your turfgrass, and you’ll be on your way to creating a great spangled fritillary paradise. Learn more about gardening for butterflies. …
Type: Blog
… Known to most shade gardeners as coleus, Solenostemon scutellarioides brings tropical colors and … hybridizing coleus Over 200 different cultivars are now available. Solid colors have given way to unlikely combinations of poison green with tomato red or mustard yellow with passion pink! … Only some are smooth; some are puckered or quilted, inviting a touch. Most coleus performs best in shaded or semi-shaded gardens; the sun-loving varieties should be marked as such. Even …
Type: Plant Info
… Scientists report new nonnative bee species for state of Illinois. Andrea Gruver, a student in the Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern … bee, Megachile apicalis . This finding is part of Gruver’s graduate research, which aims to understand the effects of urbanization on the wild bees of the Chicago region. All of the bees … harbor diverse bee communities, but they may be made up of more nonnative bee species compared to natural areas. As urbanization grows worldwide, it is important to monitor the spread of …
Type: Research
… New! Does your child love to help out in the kitchen? Bring your little chef to the Garden for stories, songs, and games followed by a cooking activity. This one-hour caregiver-and-child program is designed for children ages 4 – 5. It is the perfect way to encourage children to eat their fruits and veggies and have fun, too! Simple, delicious …
Type: Item Detail
… My favorite, sweet black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) , is a native species of moist to wet prairies and woodland edges. Although the flowers are very similar, the familiar common … Also, sweet black-eyed Susan begins blooming when common black-eyed Susan is finishing. By the way, the typical description of a black-eyed Susan’s flower as having yellow petals with a dark … or ray) of an individual flower called a ray or ligulate flower. I know this is hard to get your head around, since the entire heads of many tiny flowers are arranged in a way that …
Type: Plant Info
… of a creamy white center collared in bright strawberry red, DOUBLE DELIGHT® is easy to spot from a distance. This award-winning hybrid tea rewards closer viewing with its strong, spicy fragrance. Like most hybrid teas, it produces one flower per stem, so you get nice long stems for cutting. Give it full sun, rich soil with good drainage, and enough space for good air …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… that spark color in the dormant prairie remnants of early spring are sought by everyone trying to recreate or restore prairies. However, this pretty little spring wildflower has proved difficult to establish in prairie restorations. It’s not that this species is rare. In fact, it occurs abundantly in high-quality remnants of natural prairie. Yet, it is legendary for putting up a fight for those of us who try to establish it into new prairie plantings. Not …
Type: Blog
… Fabiany Herrera , Ph.D., of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action, together with lead author Monica Carvalho and Carlos … others, discovered for the first time how the tropical rainforest in South America responded to the asteroid impact that ended the reign of dinosaurs, approximately 66 million years ago. … This study also shows that it took almost six million years for the tropical rainforest to recover after the asteroid impact. Herrera highlights that if it took that much time for the …
Type: Research
… Golden Japanese sweet flag is grown primarily for its fragrant and attractive greenish-yellow foliage, which resembles that of an iris. Insignificant greenish-yellow flowers bloom from June through August, giving way to inedible red berries in the fall. The plant grows to 1 foot high and spreads to 1 foot. Grow …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… that gleams on even the darkest nights. Unlike during summer, when there are so many things to distract me in the garden—dragonflies, bluejays, coneflowers, bumblebees, and weeds—winter is … insects, and more over the decades. A few holes in the trunk have served as nesting sites for generations of woodpeckers, chickadees, and other birds. Oaks are long-lived native trees … guide to trees in winter is a lovely companion, but the Garden’s plant tags offer help if you visit without one. There are many ways to appreciate winter outdoors . Take a walk to the …
Type: Plant Info
