Autumn days may have you thinking of the red and orange hues of changing leaves, but if you want the bright pinks and yellows of spring, fall is the time to get those bulbs in the ground! Now is the time to start to watch for spring bulbs, like tulips and daffodils, at your local…
Endangered Bats Highlight Biodiversity at Shaw Nature Reserve
Proper safeguarding and stewardship of our flora has the very intended effect of also benefiting our fauna. Just like humans, animals depend on plants for things like food and shelter. And plants often rely on animals for pollination and seed dispersal. Protecting plant habitats allows these beneficial relationships to occur as nature intended. Monarch butterflies…
The Miracle of Metamorphosis
An exciting transformation is coming to the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House Entomology Lab If you’ve visited the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in its first two decades of operation, you’ve likely marveled at the beautiful butterfly diversity on display, but have you ever wondered how these colorful creatures come to fill the Butterfly House’s…
In the Footsteps of Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt is one of the most influential people you’ve probably never heard of. Yet you’ve likely heard the name, whether you know it or not. His name adorns cities and schools, mountains and glaciers, and a dozen plants and animals including the Humboldt penguins at the St. Louis Zoo. When combined, there are…
Go Solar with Grow Solar STL
As we look to the future, solar power is one of the most promising energy sources. It’s efficient, it’s renewable, and St. Louis gets more than enough sunlight to be an ideal location. Perhaps the most significant downside of solar power is the cost of installation, which tends to be higher than other energy options….
Garden News and Notes: September 2019
Current Events Garden Party Lights Garden Treasure Hunt Leafing Through History: Plants That Make Paper Garden Named an Official Red List Partner The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has named the Garden an official partner presiding over the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™—the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation…
From the Library: Rebuilding the Bateman Book (Part 8)
Conservation work on the Peter H. Raven Library’s copy of The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala is almost complete! Follow along as we document this painstaking restoration of one of the largest and grandest volumes in the Garden’s rare book collection. The Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala has been disbound, cleaned, mended, guarded and washed (at…
Picking the Perfect Plant for Your Dorm Room
For many, a college dorm is the first “home” outside of their parents’ house. It’s a place to call their own, and a place where they’ll spend much of their time as they start college. If you’re headed to college and getting ready to deck out your dorm, consider adding a houseplant to the mix….
The Garden Events Green Team
Zero Waste Ambassador volunteers help reduce the “waste line” of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s signature events. You can join this movement as a volunteer. It’s educational, impactful, shady and fun! Signature events like Japanese Festival and Best of Missouri Market are among the most popular activities at the Missouri Botanical Garden, offering thousands of visitors…
The Biggest Pest Problems of 2019
The Kemper Center for Home Gardening is the largest non-profit gardening information center of its kind in the nation. That means they get a lot of gardening questions every week. Many of those questions are about pests wreaking havoc on home gardeners. The type of pests doing the most damage varies from year to year,…
Leafing Through History: The Plants That Make Paper
After one year back in operation, the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum presents its first fully interdisciplinary exhibit: Leafing Through History: The Plants that Make Paper. “I know how intimidating a science museum can be to a non-science audience,” says Nezka Pfeifer, curator of the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum at the Missouri Botanical Garden….
Spotlight on Science: Matthew Albrecht
Dr. Matthew Albrecht, Associate Scientist Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development Growing up in St. Louis, the Missouri Botanical Garden was, of course, a destination for Matthew Albrecht on family outings. He always thought it was a great institution in his hometown, but it wasn’t until later that he grasped the impressive scope of its…
