… questions about how anthropogenic change reshapes ecological processes. I am interested in how species interactions, population dynamics, and the timing of biological events respond to … modeling, my research currently explores three key questions: Why is there so much variation in how species adjust their biological timing to a changing climate? What are the demographic consequences of changing environmental conditions (e.g., climate change and pollinator losses)? How do species invasions and climate change affect …
Type: Staff bio
… and waiting for Spike to bloom—a dream of the Chicago Botanic Garden for 12 years! Finally, in the next ten days or so, we’ll see the fruit of our labor in all of its stinky glory. What’s next, and when? Over the next several days, Spike will grow … of scent so powerful that it can travel an acre (or the distance between individual plants in their native Sumatran rain forests). The scent is a calling card for pollinators. The spathe …
Type: Blog
… Valentine’s Day has special meaning for us at the Chicago Botanic Garden. With that in mind, we’ve gathered a few stories about how orchids will do just about anything to attract a … can work wonders on date night. But the spider orchid, Brassia , takes things even further in order to attract an insect: it makes itself up to look like a pollinator’s favorite food. The … that looked like a lady wasp and a scent like the female pheromone used to attract a male. In nature, the lady wasp climbs to the top of a plant and awaits a male—who recognizes the …
Type: Blog
… Plant Evaluation Program, featuring plants best suited for Midwestern gardens and those in similar climates. The Green Roof includes a south garden with plants native to North America … she was a child and went on camping trips with her father. She received a bachelor of science in forestry from Michigan State University and has been with the Garden since 2013. Previously, …
Type: Staff bio
… Garden, my cat’s small, albeit mischievous brain has only just now discovered that she can, in fact, eat it. The leaves turned all ratty and shriveled, and now the plant is dead. Rita the … plant-muncher, whom I love very much. (Don’t worry–she has not taste-tested any of the plants in this photo! The ZZ plant and flamingo flower are toxic to cats and normally sit safely out of … we’d be having a much bigger problem. My cat usually is completely disinterested in my plants. But my cat’s new habit got me thinking about houseplants and pets. Lots of people …
Type: Blog
… that the Garden displays to create excitement for plants. He has a bachelor of science degree in landscape horticulture, with a concentration in nursery and greenhouse management, from Colorado State University. Pollak writes for …
Type: Staff bio
… invasive, but it can be difficult to predict whether or not a species will become invasive in a new habitat. With an increased awareness about the environmental and economic threats posed … and will be time-consuming to replace will be phased out over a five- to ten-year period) E Evaluate species and cultivars, then remove invasive taxa W Watch and monitor for signs of … Loosestrife R Lythrum salicaria Purple loosestrife R * Malus spp. (crabapples) Crabapple E, I Melilotus alba White sweet-clover R Melilotus officinalis Yellow sweet- clover R …
Type: Research
… worked to clear and trim overgrown bushes, install new plantings, and remove invasive plants. In addition to their work at the Garden, Corps members worked at Harms Woods near Glenview and … — Aaron Ivsin, 16, Chicago “I want to be an environmental biologist. This will help me later in life because everybody knows each other in the field." —Ushus Hermanson, 17, Chicago The program is part of the effort by the Garden and …
Type: Blog
… not native to the Chicago region, was historically a source for blue dye. Both species are in the pea family. Many prairie plants belong to the pea family; other important families of the … might be seen visiting these plants, bumblebees being the primary pollinator. Butterflies, in their quest for nectar, will not be rewarded for their visit, however, since Ohio spiderwort … wool carder bee, with sharp spines on their abdomens, will attack other males who come in the vicinity of the female when she is foraging for nectar. Just opening on the gravel hill …
Type: Blog
… After my daughter and I recently painted some rocks, I was putting them around a flower bed in our front yard when a woman walked by. She said, “I love those—every time I see one on my … flowers or other embellishments, and write a short message or word. Place the kindness stones in your garden or around the neighborhood, or give them as gifts. …
Type: Blog
