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: Conservation
Scientific Resurrection: Bringing Extinct Plants Back from the Dead
Species in the hibiscus and sedge families, both extinct for decades but preserved at the Missouri Botanical Garden, are among those scientists want to target to bring back from the dead. Scientists from across the globe recently collaborated to create a list of plants targeted for “de-extinction.” They examined plant specimens preserved in herbaria, or…
Advancing Conservation Through Continuing Education
The Advanced Inquiry Program encourages professionals to ignite ecological and social change while earning their master’s degrees. Overseen by Miami University’s Project Dragonfly, the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) is a one-of-a-kind master’s program that immerses students in collaborative inquiry and action as they champion change. Through web-based coursework from Miami and face-to-face experiential learning and…
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.
Garden Plans Restoration After Fire Burns 35 Acres of Precious Forest in Madagascar
When Dinasoa Tahirinirainy got a phone call in early October telling him there was a fire at a Missouri Botanical Garden conservation area in Madagascar, he wasn’t too worried. Tahirinirainy is the park manager of Ankafobe Forest, an area of rare highland forest where fires are common. He deals with three to four fires a…
Making the Mark
Earlier this year, Missouri Botanical Garden Botanist Patrice Antilahimena embarked on a field trip to a protected area managed by the Garden in southern Madagascar. The dry forest, thick with spiny plants was unlike anywhere he had collected before. But the trip was exciting for another reason: Patrice knew it was likely he would make…
Honeysuckles Explained
Most gardeners cringe at the word “honeysuckle” these days. But not all species of honeysuckle are bad. Here, the William T. Kemper Home Gardening Center explains which native species you should plant in your garden to attract pollinators and which invasive species you should eradicate wherever possible.
Rare Beauty: New Meriania Species to be Classified as Critically Endangered
With vivid pink, purple, and magenta blooms, new species of Meriania discovered by Missouri Botanical Garden scientists and collaborators in Peru are certainly eye-catching. But since many of them are critically endangered, they’re unlikely to catch many eyes in the wild. In fact, four of them are known from just a single population. Describing these…
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…
New Orchid Species Discovered by the Missouri Botanical Garden
In the Missouri Botanical Garden’s more than 160-year history, Garden scientists have discovered and named hundreds of new species of orchids. Most recently, the Garden’s orchid team in Africa and Madagascar, led by Garden Scientist Tariq Stevart, has taken the lead in orchid discovery. In the past, the Garden’s efforts focused on New World tropical…
Protecting Precious Woods in Madagascar
At the ports of Madagascar, enormous piles of logs cut from rosewoods and ebonies sit waiting. They can’t be exported because these threatened precious woods were harvested illegally and their sale on the international market is forbidden. Of course, those who don’t play by the rules still manage to export them illegally and make a…
Madidi | 20 Years of Discovery
Encompassing more than 7,000 square miles, Madidi National Park in northeast Bolivia is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. The park and its surrounding regions encompass the Andes’ snow-covered peaks, hazy cloud forests, and a portion of the tropical Amazon Rainforest. Yet until recently, relatively little was known about the plants and…