ArboretumPage 4

Perry is Popping

Perry the Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is growing like Jack’s Beanstalk! The new shoot appeared about two weeks into September (see the photo from September 13, scaled to Tuan’s hand), and it was, as of Friday, October 4, approaching 20 inches / 50 centimeters in height! I won’t make a declaration as to the nature […]

Insights From a Fall Tree

Maple leaf Falling down Showing front Showing back -Ryokan, Japanese Zen poet It is officially autumn. The birds and squirrels are busy creating caches of seeds for the winter, the grasshoppers are busily eating all the grass, and the leaves are changing color. I know that a lot of people have mixed feelings about this […]

Hummingbird Moths, Interpreting the Fall Arboretum Landscape

The following is a submission from a Gustavus student in Dr. Cindy Johnson’s “Interpreting the Fall Landscape” class held in the Arboretum.  Special thanks to Dr. Johnson and her students…..   Hummingbird Moths by Jessica Gold I spotted 4 hummingbird moths in a flower bed on 9/24 at 6:15 pm. They were hovering around the […]

Cup Plant — Interpreting the Fall Arboretum Landscape

The following is a submission from a Gustavus student in Dr. Cindy Johnson’s “Interpreting the Fall Landscape” class held in the Arboretum.  Special thanks to Dr. Johnson and her students…..   Cup Plants By Carrie Boike   Cup Plant, Silphium perfoliatum ·         Native to North America ·         Perennial ·         Triangular Toothed Leaf ·          opposite leaf […]

The power of unintended consequences

Last spring, we decided to add a bird feeder to a small garden area outside of the Interpretive Center.  Two or three months ago, a bird at that feeder (through haste or carelessness) dropped a sunflower seed and it started to grow.   When I suggested that we pull it as a weed (after all, it […]

Perry as Thanksgiving Guest?

Perry the Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) has surprised us mightily. A shoot has appeared and is growing rapidly. This follows the shortest dormant period so far – the last leaf died down this past summer, and we expected dormancy to last until spring or summer of 2014. It remains to be seen whether this shoot […]

Fall color forecast looks good… maybe.

A long autumn with sunny dry days and cool dry nights can make for a colorful fall. Autumn in Minnesota is a time of cruel ironies. Any Vikings fan can tell you that. One of autumn’s cruelest ironies is that the beauty of autumn is quickly replaced with the general crumminess of winter. And so, […]

Monarchs Still Holding On!

Earlier this week, I noticed three Monarch Butterflies fluttering outside our windows at the Interpretive Center. They seemed to be having a ball, enjoying the colorful flower gardens. Monarchs, as most of us may know begin as caterpillars. As caterpillars, they must eat constantly in order to grow big enough, fast enough to turn themselves […]

Ragweed and the Afterlife

  Although I have no plans to end up there, I can’t help but imagine what sorts of things might be found in hell.  I am, of course, familiar with the traditional images of fire, ragged clothing, and stalagmites, but I believe that the more mundane forms of punishment would actually be the worst.  I […]

Coneflower Prairie Walk

About 45 people turned out for an absolutely perfect evening to walk the Coneflower Prairie at Linnaeus Arboretum on July 23rd.  Thanks for coming out everyone.  I hope to upload several prairie plant photos soon.