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Scroll Through Summer: July

The warmth of the July sun sets off a frenzy of growth as plants reach for the peak of their potential. The delicate greens of spring and early summer deepen, and plants that were small and humble just weeks ago now overwhelm the landscape with explosive color. Midsummer in St. Louis is not unlike weather…

Home Herb Gardens

Herb gardens are popular with many home gardeners because they can be grown with little space and yield crops that can be used in many favorite recipes. Many chefs prefer the taste of fresh herbs over dried products you purchase at the store. Some popular herbs to grow in your garden include basil, rosemary, chives,…

Separated from the Seeds

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,…

Racing the Clock for Rediscovery

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down travel, Jim Miller, Senior Vice President of Science & Research at the Missouri Botanical Garden, was in Madagascar, searching for a plant that scientists had not seen in the wild since 1965. Bourreria angustifolia is a small tree or shrub with “willow-like” leaves and orange fruits the size and…

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

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…