… Sunshine is the latest corpse flower at the Chicago Botanic Garden to bloom. A member of the Aroid plant … at the Garden from around the world. Sunshine the titan arum ( Amorphophallus titanum ) in the Sensory Garden Jack-in-the-Pulpit ( Arisaema triphyllum ) and Skunk Cabbage ( Symplocarpus foetidus ) are the two …
Type: Blog
… these snapshots of the early morning visitors to the rare phenomenon of a corpse flower in full bloom. We chatted with the early birds and met some “regulars”—visitors who had come by … last August, and Alice, the corpse flower that bloomed last September. Maxwell and Lexi (in her Alice T-shirt) Kirchen visit Sprout early this morning before school. Harper, 14 months … found out on the Internet. The Internet knows everything. Lexi: It’s very stinky. Maxwell: It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see it. And it is very stinky. Carrie: I happened to see the …
Type: Blog
… An old friend is back in front of the Visitor Center. The Bloom Cart shows you a curated selection of what’s in bloom across the Chicago Botanic Garden—and more. At first glance, it looks like the Bloom …
Type: Blog
… Join me in contemplating the sweetness of plants. All sugar comes from plants. All of it. Plants are the … made of sugars. Even plant cell walls are composed of a substance called cellulose , which is a compound sugar. Sugars from plants are the basis of our food chain. Our favorite dietary … pictured here, and be ready to cover loosely with a piece of paper towel like the glass shown in the middle. Directions First, assemble the hardware. Cut the bamboo skewer to 6 to 8 inches, …
Type: Blog
… 1,500 of which are popularly grown. Here are some tips for growing these beautiful plants in the garden. Selecting a site Pick a sunny spot where, optimally, the plants will receive at least six hours of sunlight. … get their “feet” wet, the area should not accumulate water and should drain well. If the soil is clay-like, it should be amended with leaf mulch, compost, or peat moss. Since dahlias should …
Type: Blog
… Pondering the Prairie Series A weevil is a type of beetle. It typically has an elongated head that appears as a snout. In fact, its other name is snout beetle. Weevils, or snout beetles, make up what many believe to be the largest family of insects in the world—estimated at almost 40,000 species. The majority live in and around plants, and feed …
Type: Blog
… partners—the four “P’s,” if you will—enable many older gardeners to carry on. Keeping active in the garden is what our volunteers love best. There is no better place to start than prevention. Since … few minutes to limber up your joints, especially your back and legs, before you start working in the garden. You will be much more comfortable if your muscles are warmed up. Surprising them …
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… When you think of fires that occur in the natural world, you might think of destruction and loss of wildlife. But when it comes to … why and how fires can promote the population health of plants and maintain plant diversity in fire-dependent ecosystems. A 21-year study by Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D., and a team of … on that prairie, for the long haul, they have to survive and reproduce. We learned that fire is essential for reproduction. A healthy population is one that will be resilient in the face of …
Type: Blog
… gathered stories about the most famous orchid of them all: the genus Vanilla. (Yes, vanilla is an orchid.) One unusual story comes from Ph.D. student Lynnaun Johnson, whose work in our doctoral program in Plant Biology and Conservation took him to Mexico, the native land of edible vanilla. Last …
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… Many of our scientists and horticulturists work in the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center. Talking to our scientists, … air, where they swing along like Spider-Man! Spiders have been found as high as 10,000 feet in the air and 200 miles out to sea. 2. Spiders can fish. TRUE. There's a group called fishing … escaping. 7. Daddy long legs are spiders. FALSE. A Daddy long legs isn't a spider; although it is in the Arachnid family, it's in a separate order from spiders. All spiders have two body …
Type: Blog
