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Spider Sundew Discovered in Madagascar

A discovery by Missouri Botanical Garden staff in Madagascar has resulted in the description of a new species of carnivorous plant, the spider sundew.

Bringing Lightning Bugs to Your Yard

Perhaps the most magical part of summer nights is watching fireflies blink light up the twilight sky. Fireflies, or lightning bugs, are the only flying, bioluminescent insects found in Missouri. The glowing bugs are actually beetles that spend most of their lives as larvae living in soil, leaf litter, and under rotting logs. Gardens can…

Spotlight on Science: Armand Randrianasolo

Dr. Armand RandrianasoloCurator at the William L. Brown Center Many botanists’ careers are the realization of a lifelong goal, born in a childhood exploring the natural world and followed by a series of carefully-planned steps to attain that goal. Armand Randrianasolo did spend much of his time outdoors during his childhood in Vatomandry, Madagascar, but…

Remote Research: Navigating Orders Around the World

Throughout the world, closures and lockdowns aimed to stop the spread of COVID-19 have disrupted many people’s lives and work. As a global institution, the Missouri Botanical Garden does research around the world, making travel restrictions a major hindrance. The “stay at home” order means staff has lost access to the Garden’s herbarium and labs,…

Scroll Through Summer: June

The summer sun brings about the peak of several showy plant collections at the Missouri Botanical Garden — including lilies and daylilies— while hostas and hydrangeas flourish in the cooling shade. June also marks the peak of the spectacular iris collection along the zigzag bridge in the Japanese Garden. Take a virtual stroll through the…

Plants of Demerit 2020

Every year since 1998, the Missouri Botanical Garden has partnered with other regional horticultural institutions to select Plants of Merit, which are easy to grow, noninvasive, ornamentally attractive, less susceptible to common problems like insects or diseases, and reasonably available to purchase. Last year, to provide a full picture of what works and what doesn’t…

Remote Research: Give and Take

Remote Research: Out of the Woods

Plants of Merit 2020

Every year since 1998, the Missouri Botanical Garden has partnered with other regional horticultural institutions to select Plants of Merit. Plants of Merit are chosen for outstanding quality and dependable performance in Missouri, southern and central Illinois, and the Kansas City metro area. To qualify as a Plant of Merit, the plants must be easy…

Remote Research: Mountains of Data from Mountain Research

George Washington Carver and the First How-to Manuals for America’s Farmers

Missouri native George Washington Carver is often well remembered as one of America’s greatest agriculture scientists. But he was also a leader in public outreach, writing bulletins that shared how-to information with farmers who hadn’t previously received such guidance. At the Missouri Botanical Garden, Carver’s legacy as an agriculture scientist is commemorated in the Carver…