Chicago Botanic Garden

Can cultivars attract pollinators? 🐝 New research says yes. Scientists at the Garden’s Negaunee Institute and horticulturists working in the Plant Evaluation Program collaborated to analyze pollinator activity across a mix of native plants and their cultivated counterparts. The findings, recently published in Ecosphere, indicated that some cultivars attracted similar numbers of pollinators as native plants. Learn more about the study and how thoughtful plant choices can create a garden that’s both beautiful and beneficial: https://chgobg.org/42PMKUq Authors for the study are part of the Program in Plant Biology and Conservation—a partnership between Northwestern University - Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the Garden.

A rare book exhibition titled Images of Roses is now on display in the Lenhardt Library. The volumes from the Rare Book Collection feature ten illustrations picturing roses in various printing styles and context, including a German herbal woodcut from 1586 to a French rose garden plan from 1902. Visit Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.

It’s time to pause and take a “bud break”. As days lengthen and the air softens, trees quietly signal spring’s arrival with a beautiful glow of buds swelling on branches. Affectionately known as a “glow-up”, it’s best seen when you relax your eyes and take in the entirety of the tree’s canopy. Learn more: https://chgobg.org/4mNojAj #ArborDay

Curious about different varieties of daffodils? Join us for the American Daffodil Society National Convention on April 24 and 25, and learn about the 13 divisions of daffodils, many of which you can spot blooming in the Garden’s display beds! The Show is free with general admission. Learn more: https://chgobg.org/3OCjk8L

This #EarthDay, we’re celebrating the quiet, stubborn, meticulous work our Negaunee Institute conservation scientists do every day. Learn more about the great lengths Garden staff go to save species from extinction and restore healthy habitats: https://chgobg.org/4cDfiFk

In much of modern life, time is abstract. It’s measured through calendars, meetings, project deadlines, and fiscal years. But in a garden, time is embodied. Discover how the Garden’s manager of display gardens measures time through cycles that are much larger than any one season: https://chgobg.org/4dJWpCW

Experience a new way to connect, create, and feel at ease. 🌿 Starting Mar. 18, the Garden is introducing Memory Cafés, a free program for people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia and their care partners. In a peaceful, nature-rich setting, participants can enjoy gentle social connection, creative plant-based activities, and shared moments of joy. This program is free, but advance registration is required. Learn more and sign-up today for a spring session: https://chgobg.org/4bA0MPb

The Negaunee Institute is helping increase the supply of native seed at the local, regional, and national levels, and the mission to make ecosystems more resilient extends far beyond the Garden’s borders through key collaborations. One collaboration: Together with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Garden staff are part of a plan to produce seeds to restore 30,000 acres of local prairie, woodland, and wetland by 2040. Learn more about how the Seed Amplification Program supports this ambitious goal: https://chgobg.org/4aUGeRq

More than half of the world’s wild orchid species could disappear within this century, as climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, and poaching take their toll. Learn how the Garden, in collaboration with other botanical gardens, is working to build a practical framework for native orchid reintroduction to threatened habitats: https://chgobg.org/4qMYmRQ

A rare book exhibition titled Slipper Orchids: Retro, Mellow & Groovy is now viewable in the Lenhardt Library. Featured illustrations of slipper orchids highlight aspects of the art nouveau period of botanical illustrations. Visit Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 4 p.m., or join us for a free talk on March 7 at 1 p.m. Learn more: https://chgobg.org/4kF2Rwd #OrchidShow2026