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Discover Our Sundials

For thousands of years, people have used sundials to tell time. In its simplest form, a sundial uses the position of the sun to cast a shadow and show us the hour of the day. More complex devices even can highlight celestial events such as the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, or winter and summer solstices….

Learning from Dad

Many professionals credit their parents for the inspiration to pursue a particular career. Some may admire their parents’ ability to channel their passions into a profession and seek to follow a similar path. Others may cite the parental encouragement they received to follow their own unique interests. Whatever the circumstances, parental support can be a…

Bringing Pollinators to Your Garden

It’s summer, and as you’re spending more time in your backyard, you may find yourself thinking about adding plants that attract pollinators to your yard. Perhaps you’re motivated by the environmental benefits, or maybe you just want to enjoy the aesthetic of butterflies and birds floating through your garden on a sunny day. Either way,…

Rare Flower Comes to the Climatron

Keep your eyes peeled on your next trip through the Climatron, and you may spot the beautiful flower of Nesocodon mauritianus. It’s the first time the Garden has been able to put this rare plant on display—and the latest development in our efforts to save this showy species. What is it? Nesocodon mauritianus is a…

Spotlight on Science: Dr. Alan Graham

A monthly look at the people behind plant science at the Missouri Botanical Garden Dr. Alan Graham Curator of Paleobotany & Palynology, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development Consultant When most people saw Jurassic Park in theaters 25 years ago, they walked away amazed by the towering T-rex or the cunning velociraptors brought to life…

Getting the Most from the Green Living Festival

What energy-saving actions will work best where you live? How can you waste less by reusing, recycling and composting? How can plants help you and our environment be healthier? The Green Living Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden offers sustainable solutions to these questions and more. A Day of Hands-on Learning Each…

Victoria Water Lily Care Comes Full Circle

For the first time in a century, the Garden is bringing the heat back to one of its most iconic displays. The Victoria pool in the Central Axis is now heated, extending the growing season for these aquatic giants and allowing them to reach their full plant potential. It’s the latest development in our care…

Finding England in the Garden

If the Royal Wedding has you in the mood for a truly British experience, you can find several at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Garden has strong British roots, as it was founded by Englishman Henry Shaw. Shaw was born in Sheffield, England and came to St. Louis in 1819 when he was just 18…

From the Library: Rebuilding the Bateman Book (Part 3)

Conservation work on the Peter H. Raven Library’s copy of The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala has begun! Follow along as we document this painstaking restoration of one of the largest and grandest volumes in the Garden’s rare book collection. The Pages of Books Can Tear and Chip Paper is generally a very stable substrate for printing…

Making Sustainability Work | The Green Business Challenge

Experts from the Garden’s EarthWays Center are cultivating a culture of sustainable thinking and practice across the St. Louis region’s business sector through its leadership of the St. Louis Green Business Challenge. Launched in 2010 by the St. Louis Regional Chamber, the Challenge was delivered as a Chamber-Garden partnership through 2017, and is now managed…

Time for Summer Planting

It already feels like summer outside, but mid-spring, around Mother’s Day, is actually the perfect time for summer planting. With temperatures warm enough by day and night, it’s a safe time to plant any summer flowers, like begonias, zinnias, marigolds, and impatiens, as well as summer vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. It’s even warm enough to…

Collection Connection: Whiskey and Research

“There’s a deeper story to almost all of these,” says Ralph Haynes as he peers into a box of dried corn cobs. The co-founder of Pinckney Bend Distillery is meeting with Garden research staff, exploring the herbarium, and flipping through the pages of rare botanical books—taking a deeper look at the intersection of his passion…