… might have two plants developing inflorescences at the same time. But it did not take too long to brainstorm some ideas on what we hope to learn from this rare possibility. The plants have been named Java and Sumatra, in recognition … two of the major islands in the nation of Indonesia. Amorphophallus titanum , the Latin name for the titan arum species, is native to the island of Sumatra. The corms of the Titan Twins were …
Type: Blog
… controlled environment of the production greenhouse. In the wild, its relatives are clinging to life on remote sandstone gorges in the Blue Mountains of Australia. “It is probably the most … back 65 million years. The Garden’s specimen is a youthful 8 years old, and is just beginning to show off its unusual characteristics. “In this case, there is such little information in the … and if available, pollen from a tree at another botanic garden. They will also reserve pollen for a potential future exchange. Find Wollemia nobilis in the Heritage Garden in the summer …
Type: Blog
… the days click on, and we are led farther away from the beloved fall season. The days continue to get shorter, and the sun doesn’t seem to shine quite as bright so naturally; moods shift, and energy becomes muted. I have a number of … there are many ways to remedy this SAD state of mind. HT ‘Simmering Spices’ supply list for 15 participants Let’s begin by talking about a few winter-themed Horticultural Therapy (HT) …
Type: Blog
… Sanchez joined the Grounds Department in 1987 as a seasonal employee. He was soon promoted to assistant heavy equipment operator with the Construction and Maintenance department. From there, he worked as an assistant electrician for many years. In 1994, he was promoted to foreman in the Grounds department. He also works as a lead heavy equipment operator and on …
Type: Staff bio
… Society, the parent organization of the Chicago Botanic Garden, had a leading role, helping to create the largest acreage of urban land under cultivation in the country. That legacy … of Chicago and in Lake County. The Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden has inspired visitors for decades to grow their own vegetables. The COVID-19 health crisis has changed how we get our food, …
Type: Blog
… restoration in the tallgrass prairie. My post-doctoral research is focused on seed mix design for restoration from both a social and ecological perspective. Using social science methods, I am studying the factors that drive seed mix design for prairie restoration managers. Using ecological data collected though observation and … how seed mixes become prairies, that is, which planted seeds and species are likely to germinate, emerge and establish in restored prairies. …
Type: Staff bio
… recognizable and beloved wildflowers, but there are a few things you may not know about them. For one thing, there are several wild species of Rudbeckia growing in the region and several … 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 … (ligule 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: Blog
… morning, when I had discovered the male-female lacewing, butterfly visitors had been waiting for me to release butterflies from the pupae chamber. So I packed up the lacewing, with all of the other … of an eye. Luckily, one of our volunteers snapped some beautiful photos. Later, it occurred to me that this specimen could actually be a valuable contribution to science, and if nothing …
Type: Blog
… From ancient China to Greece, Europe, and finally the New World, the tradition of sending messages as a gift of … we midwesterners appreciate giving blooms in February, when our hearts and senses most long for the color and smell of the garden in bloom. From the hearts of everyone at the Garden, we … you a happy Valentine’s Day with a virtual bouquet, and hope that if you were lucky enough to get some flowers of your own, you enjoy them at least until the snowdrops pop up to welcome us …
Type: Blog
… joys of spring. Under the calm and creative eye of Field & Florist’s Heidi Joynt, we learned to turn those branches into lovely, living wreaths in a perfectly timed class at the Chicago … ) Pussy willow varieties Flowering almond ( Prunus triloba ) Heidi Joynt demonstrated how to layer in curly willow cuttings and delicate flowering branches like bridal veil and bridal … takes the idea in a different direction—in a circle, with living branches forming a perfect-for-the-front-door wreath. Imagine walking out into your yard, pruning a cluster of branch …
Type: Blog
