An emblem of spring, magnolias are celebrated for their beautiful white and pink flowers that bloom early in the season. While common in home landscapes, half of all magnolia species are threatened with extinction in the wild. They are found around the globe, and are mainly threatened by logging activity as well as habitat loss…
Category: Collections
Focus on Crocus
A frequent subject in poetry and art, crocus are considered by many to be the first sign of spring.
Botanical Resonance: Saving the Ozark Chinquapin and Its Musical Traditions
The once-beloved Ozark chinquapin tree was almost forgotten after Chinese chestnut blight nearly wiped it out entirely. Now, there is renewed hope for this Ozark tree and the regional traditions it inspired.
Plant Profile: Persimmon
The American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is a Missouri-native tree known for its edible fruit and cultural connections.
Spotlight on Science: Jordan Teisher
Jordan TeisherDirector, Herbarium Jordan Teisher still vividly remembers visiting the Missouri Botanical Garden when he was exploring graduate school opportunities in plant research. He started his visit in the Lehmann Building, which holds part of the Garden’s herbarium, and then took a walk around Garden grounds. He was in awe. “You have this combination of…
Time for Tulips
Bursting into beautiful, vibrant blooms each April, tulips have become synonymous with spring. Tulips, or tulipa, are part of the lily family, Liliaceae. Although commonly associated with the Netherlands, their native range is actually in Central Asia and Southern Europe. Tulipa includes more than 100 different species, thousands of varieties, and flowers in many vivid…
Critically Endangered Agave pelona Blooms in Garden Greenhouses
It was late January when Jared Chauncey, Senior Horticulturist and arid plant expert at the Missouri Botanical Garden, noticed that something extraordinary was about to happen: an Agave pelona was sending up a flowering stalk. It was about to bloom. These plants live for decades before sending up the only bloom of their lifetime—they are…
Bioculture: Plants and People Interacting
People and plants have been sharing the planet for a very long time, and, through the ages, a great number of plants have become important to human culture. The Garden’s William L. Brown Center is thrilled to present a free talk series that focuses on that relationship. The series, called Bioculture: Plants and People Interacting,…
Virtual Orchid Show
Most years, the Missouri Botanical Garden Orchid Show offers visitors the chance to see the Garden’s expansive orchid collection while it is at its most dazzling—right now is the time of year that many orchids bloom. This year, the Orchid Show is on hold while construction of the new Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center is…
Take a Virtual Visit to the Sachs Museum
Grafting the Grape: American Grapevine Rootstock in Missouri and the World is currently installed in the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum, which is open for visitors Tuesday-Sunday, 10:30am-3:30pm; all visitors over age 5 must wear masks indoors and on the grounds of the Garden. Please check the Museum site here for updates and future online…
Saving the Seeds of an Endangered Christmas Tree
Two years after wild-collected Christmas tree seeds made their way from the Appalachian Mountains to St. Louis, our researchers are learning more about the challenges ahead when it comes to conserving the Fraser fir.
Grafting the Grape: Indigenous Use of Grapes
Grafting the Grape: American Grapevine Rootstock in Missouri and the World is currently installed in ting The Grape: American Grapevine Rootstock in Missouri and the World is currently installed in the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum, which is open for visitors Tuesday-Sunday, 11:30am-4:30pm. The exhibition content is available online through the Garden YouTube channel and…