… Fast and graceful, hummingbirds flit from flower to flower—but which ones and why? A Chicago Botanic Garden scientist and his collaborators have … unexpected findings on the subject. It’s a common perception that plants are perfectly matched to their pollinators and that each pollinator has a specific flower type that they are attracted … many gardeners and scientists alike have long assumed their flower type to be one that is strikingly red, tubular, and scentless. Flowers that are often thought of as typical choices …
Type: Blog
… In 2001, Plants of Concern was launched through the Chicago Botanic Garden to track the status of rare, threatened, and endangered species in northeast Illinois. A landmark … endangered at the time. Other species were included in monitoring because they were considered to be important species within the Chicago Wilderness region. Not only did the Biodiversity … an anonymous foundation keep the program thriving. Importantly, the data we collect and share is long-term and consistent for a significant number of monitored species. We send data to the …
Type: Blog
… Ever see a tree or even a weed and wonder what kind of plant it is? We’d love for you to stumble across the answer—right in front of you. Inspired by a movement by French botanists, my 5-year-old daughter and I decided to become street botanists for the day. We would identify plants in the neighborhood and write …
Type: Blog
… Have you been to the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden lately? If you have, you probably saw some of the … think of niwaki as big bonsai, but that relationship isn’t exactly right. Bonsai translates to “tray (or pot) planting.” While we may think of niwaki as big bonsai, we should try to think … last year and where you expect the new growth to emerge. The result of breaking these candles is that the new growth spreads more horizontally than vertically, and the density of the pads …
Type: Blog
… some 12-inch-long soft strings of light-colored yarn put out by humans, she may snatch them to make her nest. A common breeding bird of open woodlands, natural spaces, gardens, and … Photo © Carol Freeman By May, Baltimore orioles have arrived in the eastern United States to set up breeding territories. To get her attention, the male hops around the female, spreads … Life Histories of North American Birds series, Arthur Cleveland Bent noted that the oriole is “perhaps the most skillful artisan of any North American bird.” Those lucky enough to see an …
Type: Blog
… I manage the Plants of Concern, a citizen science rare-plant monitoring program designed to gather standardized, long-term regional monitoring data to detect population trends. The program is a collaboration of trained citizen scientists, land managers, and researchers using science to …
Type: Staff bio
… its harsh croak when it takes off from a marsh. It was this bird’s beauty that nearly led to its demise at the turn of the twentieth century, when these and other waders were hunted for … 5-foot wing span, has become the symbol for the National Audubon Society, founded in part to stop these birds from being killed to extinction. Great egrets spend winter as far south as … waders including the great blue heron. A great egret ( Ardea alba ) fishes; in the background is a great blue heron. Photo © Carol Freeman During breeding season, a patch of skin on the …
Type: Blog
… As proud gardeners, we are thrilled to announce the arrival of flower names as a fresh trend on the best baby name lists. While … When Gwyneth named baby Apple a dozen years ago, some scratched their heads. Fast forward to 2012, and Blue Ivy Carter (Beyoncé’s first) sounded just right. Media has played a role, … happiness when Lady Edith named the baby Marigold. Speaking of England, behind today’s trend is an even earlier, Victorian-era trend rooted in the language of flowers. This is a topic near …
Type: Blog
… and quite a bit of concentration. What a wonderful surprise. I took a breath and thought: This is it. This is what so many dedicated horticulturists at the Garden have been waiting for, and … director, facilities and maintenance, joined us soon after. I don’t have scientific evidence to support this, but it was my impression that Alice “knew” we were there; maybe our warmth and … even more intense. There would be a lot of activity very soon, but we shared a quiet moment to reflect on this rare phenomenon and the extraordinary dedication of so many to reach this …
Type: Blog
… Barbara Raue is the Plant Production department's nursery supervisor. Many of the Garden's more unique and difficult-to-source plants are grown in the nursery. Raue started working at the Garden in 1986, as a … Landscape Garden, Native Plant Garden, Graham Bulb Garden, and Aquatic Garden. She transferred to Plant Production as a grower for indoor floriculture in 1996 and then to the nursery as a …
Type: Staff bio
