… the McDonald Woods, which wrap around the northeastern edge of the Chicago Botanic Garden. But to Jim Steffen , senior ecologist at the Garden, the oak woodland is a bustling center for natural processes and species, and may hold answers to unsolved scientific questions. Purple milkweed ( Asclepias purpurascens ) blooms in the …
Type: Blog
… David Cantwell is the assistant horticulturist for the Garden Wall and Berm—the exterior plantings at the Chicago Botanic Garden's signature brick wall stretching along the western border from Lake Cook Road south to Dundee Road, consisting of more than eight acres of planting beds, more than 100 plant taxa, … assistant working in the Landscape Demonstration Garden. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Grounds department crew leader and then in 2008 to assistant horticulturist for the Garden …
Type: Staff bio
… Even when the kids have schoolwork, it’s still important for them to play outside. Outdoor activities encourage creativity and independent thinking. The good news is that outdoor play time has many benefits ; a growing body of research shows that nature …
Type: Blog
… This summer, when you walk through the Linden Allée, be sure to look UP—and marvel at the incredible trees above you. These 28 GREENSPIRE™ linden trees ( … linden, are actually pruned into a 270-foot-long hedge! Littleleaf lindens are native to Europe, central Russia, and western Asia. They are relatively disease-resistant and low-maintenance trees. Their dense canopy provides ample shade for a hot summer day, and the heart-shaped leaves turn an outstanding gold color in the fall. …
Type: Blog
… changes in projected species distributions between now and 2080. The goal of the research is to help BLM to make informed management decisions regarding rare plants. The research takes them to many exciting destinations searching for rare plants in the west. The dwarf bear-poppy The genus Arctomecon (also known as …
Type: Blog
… We humans have used technology to become masters of communication. But we are far from the only species with an impressive array of “superhuman” abilities. Butterflies have unique features they use for socializing, mating, warding off predators, and more! Scarlet Mormon (Papilio rumanzovia) Photo by Bill Bishoff Consider the butterfly’s ability to see ultraviolet light. UV light is a spectrum of light between 10 and 400 nanometers that …
Type: Blog
… On the virtually treeless plains of Nebraska almost 150 years, ago a day was set aside to celebrate and appreciate trees—Arbor Day. This year we have selected the genus Quercus , the oaks, as an exemplar of why trees are important to us and our environment. Quercus rubra standing tall at the Garden There are 461 species of … southwest are estimated to be well over 1,000 years old. They have been part of human culture for millennia wherever they are found. Young acorns on a Quercus imbricaria Quercus robur …
Type: Blog
… series, Remus Lupin, a tormented werewolf, drinks a potion of wolfsbane carefully concocted to control his transformations. As early as Dracula in 1931, wolfsbane casually replaced garlic as a repellent for vampires in film. Nevertheless, the correlation of wolfsbane with the supernatural predates … from the toxic slobber of a three-headed dog named Cerberus, the scary canine guardian to the gates of Hell. In the Dark Ages, wolfsbane was said to be used by witches in spells and …
Type: Blog
… in the house. A circa-1850 glazed Chinese jar is filled with green Cymbidium orchids native to Asia. And we’re pampering 10,000 other orchids so they’ll be in full flower for Asia in Bloom: The Orchid Show. Lighting crews, horticulturists, and dozens of other staff … Garden’s biggest flower exhibition of the year. The Show features sweeps of orchids native to Asia, blooming with color and scent. In our heated greenhouses and galleries, the exhibition …
Type: Blog
… had changed. It was the beginning of a journey that took me from Gainesville, Florida, to Washington, D.C., to Japan and finally here to the Chicago Botanic Garden, where I am the curator in charge of the … of the Gators) hosted the State Bonsai Convention. That weekend was an eye-opening experience for me, as I got to learn from and assist international bonsai artists like Jim Smith, Colin …
Type: Blog
