Yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Pretty Belinda’) blooms in the William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening. Photo by Karen Fletcher/Missouri Botanical Garden. Yarrow (Achillea spp.) has been named the 2024 Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association. In honor of the announcement, the St. Louis Herb Society is offering some insight on this flowering herb and its uses. Defining an herb Gardeners today may look at the approximately 85 species of yarrow as colorful, long-blooming additions to their flower gardens rather than the basils and sages that come to mind when someone says “herb ..read more

So you want to be more sustainable, but you have questions about just how to do that? The Garden’s Sustainability team is here to help with the Green Resources Information Service! The Green Resources Info Service from the Garden’s Sustainability team answers your sustainable living questions and offers Green-To-Go Talks for adult audiences. We give a personalized response drawing on our networks, knowledge base and our research skills. Green guidance offers options plus perspective to help you decide about what you’re seeking.   Common types of questions are:   Who can I c ..read more

Choosing to garden with native plants that benefit pollinators is increasing in popularity as home gardeners realize the outsized impact even a small number of these plants can have pollinators that call our region home. But how to do you maximize the benefit pollinators gain from visiting your garden? One of the key ways is to have plants blooming for as much of the year as possible, potentially from late winter through late fall. The Garden’s home gardening team recommends the following top-performing native plants: Ozark witch hazel, Hamamelis vernalis. Photo by Tom Incorcci. Ozark witch ha ..read more

The Missouri Botanical Garden is giving visitors more opportunities to enjoy the beautiful blooms this spring and summer with our extended evening hours. The sun sets behind a gazebo in the Margaret Grigg Nanjing Friendship Garden. Photo by Mary Lou Olsen/ Missouri Botanical Garden. Visitors are invited to take a sunset stroll around the Garden while sipping a drink from Sassafras Cafe, enjoy dinner on the patio of Sassafras Restaurant, and explore our nature-based playground in the Doris I. Schnucks Children’s Garden. When are extended evening hours? In 2024, extended evening hours at th ..read more

With rare butterflies emerging, scientific discoveries being made, and gorgeous spring blooms on display, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Chesterfield should be on your list of places to visit this spring. A family poses for a photo inside the Tropical Conservatory of the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House. Photo by Rebecca Pavelka/Missouri Botanical Garden Whether you haven’t visit in a few weeks or a few years, there is always something new to see and do at the Butterfly House. Experience Thousands of Unique Butterflies Discover Scientific Marvels The Exhibition Hall The Entomology ..read more

An array of plant specimens from the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Herbarium. With more than 7.5 million specimens, the Garden’s Herbarium is one of the largest in the world. Photo by Marissa Billmeyer. With two-thirds of the world’s plant species facing extinction, maintaining a collection of preserved, dead plant specimens may seem insignificant. But these collections are the basis for all scientific knowledge of plant diversity and have research and conservation purposes beyond the wildest dreams of early plant scientists. The Missouri Botanical Garden maintains one of the largest Herbaria in ..read more

March is Women’s History Month. With the many strides women have made, we chatted with a few of our women in science at the Garden about their careers, inspirations, and advice. Get to know the women of the Library & Herbarium department! The Peter H. Raven Library is vital to the Garden’s mission “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment, in order to preserve and enrich life.” It serves as an invaluable and irreplaceable resource that supports the work of Garden scientists, students, and researchers from around the globe seeking to better understand, id ..read more

If you’re interested in environmentally-friendly gardening or landscaping, you’ve likely heard the term rewilding. You may have even tuned into the Garden’s Member Speaker Series in 2023 when we hosted Lady Isabella Tree, author of The Book of Wilding: A Practical Guide to Rewilding Big and Small. Rewilding as a trend and an environmental movement is becoming more popular. Erin Goss, Native Plant Initiative Coordinator for Shaw Nature Reserve, says rewilding in practice takes patience and time. “I do believe for some people, rewilding is a romantic, simple fix to environmental issues,” Goss sa ..read more

Spring at the Missouri Botanical Garden can look quite different each visit since new blooms can come and go in a matter of days. Catching your favorite springtime blooms at their peak can sometimes be a challenge, especially with St. Louis’ unpredictable weather. Rhododendron (Rhododendron P.J.M. ‘Elite) blooms near the Children’s Garden. Photo by Nathan Kwarta/Missouri Botanical Garden. Luckily, our staff and volunteer photographers have been capturing the beautiful flowers that have been blooming in our Garden over the past few weeks. Early Bloomers Cherry Trees and Bushes Daffodils, Hy ..read more

Spring at the Missouri Botanical Garden can look quite different each visit since new blooms can come and go in a matter of days. Catching your favorite springtime blooms at their peak can sometimes be a challenge, especially with St. Louis’ unpredictable weather. Rhododendron (Rhododendron P.J.M. ‘Elite) blooms near the Children’s Garden. Photo by Nathan Kwarta/Missouri Botanical Garden. Luckily, our staff and volunteer photographers have been capturing the beautiful flowers that have been blooming in our Garden over the past few weeks. Early Bloomers Cherry Trees and Bushes Daffodils, Hy ..read more