Get Growing Blog
Connecting people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants.
Most Recent
December 6, 2023
Snow and Dormancy: A Delicate Balance Threatened By Climate Change
By Beck Swab, PhD, Director of Conservation and Community Forestry
As winter blankets the world in a pristine layer of snow, a silent transformation takes place in the natural world. Snow cover and dormancy are interconnected elements in the delicate...more
December 5, 2023
World Soil Day: Holden’s Soil Ecologists Improving the Odds for Trees in Urban Environments
Efforts are underway to plant trees in Cuyahoga County’s urban areas by the thousands. In these cities, canopy cover is well below the county average, which brings well-documented ill effects...more
December 1, 2023
Soils Under Snow Still Carry On
By Sarah Kyker, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Winter is a time when we think of dormancy. Chipmunks have begun hibernating. The deciduous trees have lost their leaves. Herbaceous plants are resting belowground as bulbs, rhizomes, etc. But,...more
November 29, 2023
Rhododendron minus: A colorful mystery wrapped in a riddle
By Juliana S. Medeiros, PhD, Plant Biologist
Rhododendron minus is a woody evergreen shrub native to the southeastern United States, with a range that extends from North Carolina and Tennessee south into Georgia and Alabama. Across this...more
November 27, 2023
Holden Collections Team Travels South to Conserve a Rare Oak Species
By Alex Faidiga, Plant Recorder
When we think about plant conservation, things like invasive species removal, habitat restoration, and population monitoring typically come to mind. This is what’s known as in situ (“on site”) conservation–...more
November 27, 2023
The Story of Ohio Family Forests
By John Brett, Forestry Outreach Fellow
Pull on a sweater and grab something warm to drink, it’s time to reflect and be grateful as the world dozes off for the winter. Many of us are lucky...more
November 21, 2023
Every flower hosts a diverse community of pollen grains (from the wrong species)
By Anna Funk, PhD, Science Communications Specialist
New research sheds light on the factors that shape the diverse microscopic pollen collections deposited on flowers by pollinators.
November 15, 2023
The Hunt for Tiny Biofuel Plants: Duckweed
By Emily Lewis, MS, Research Specialist
Duckweeds are the smallest flowering plants on earth. They can take in carbon from the air and convert it into biomass very quickly. In fact, when it comes to sequestering...more
November 14, 2023
Our Community Forester Jessica Miller Mecaskey, a Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 under 40 Award Winner
We are so fortunate to have a talented and devoted team of nature lovers at Holden Forests & Gardens accomplishing extraordinary things on behalf of the plants and trees in...more
November 10, 2023
Tiny Plant, Big Solutions: Duckweed’s Contentious Reputation and Scientific History
By Dylann Nakaji-Conley, Research Intern
You’ve likely come by a pond, lake, or even a drainage ditch, and noticed a layer of green on the water. It can look solid enough to almost be mistaken...more
November 8, 2023
Caterpillars at the Nursery
By M Onion, Nursery Plant Propagator Grower
The nursery at the Holden Arboretum takes care of a great number of species. One polyhouse alone currently contains between 300 and 400 species and cultivars. Among all these plants,...more
November 8, 2023
Holden Researchers Uncover How a Resilient Tree Acclimates to Stressful Environments
By Anna Funk, PhD, Science Communications Specialist
The eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a hardy tree native to the eastern U.S. But lately it’s been encroaching on ecosystems out West — could its physiology be the...more
November 2, 2023
The Colors of Rhododendron’s Fall Foliage
By Sharon Halkovics, Research Specialist
Plant lovers are aware of the vibrant, showy flowers Rhododendron exhibit in spring. But did you know that some rhododendrons can display subtle yet colorful foliage that is worth taking...more
November 2, 2023
New Study Reveals Overlooked Driver of Biodiversity Across Landscapes: Conditions During Plant Establishment
By Anna Funk, PhD, Science Communications Specialist
In a new study published in Ecology, Holden researcher Katie Stuble and colleagues use restored grassland experiments to demonstrate how planting conditions impact diversity, but only for certain community types.
October 31, 2023
Protecting Your Broadleaf Evergreens from Frost Damage
By Nicholas Chilson, Garden Technician
The Eliot and Linda Paine Rhododendron Discovery Garden at the Holden Arboretum has many evergreen Rhododendrons and Azaleas. These plants, although winter hardy, are still susceptible to frost damage, and...more
October 24, 2023
New Research Reveals How the Environment and Genetics Influence Plant Microbiomes, Offering Insights for Climate Resilience
By Anna Funk, PhD, Science Communications Specialist
The more researchers investigate the microscopic word, the more microbes have been found living in and on other organisms — including plants. These microbes aren’t just hitching a ride; they’ve...more
October 23, 2023
Holden’s Bat Detectors Reveal (Almost) All of Ohio’s Bat Species Live at the Arboretum
By Mike Watson, Conservation Biologist
Bats are among the most fascinating and most misunderstood animals in the United States. For years, fear of rabies, old wives’ tales, and other myths led to the persecution and...more
October 20, 2023
Autumn’s Aromas: The Top 5 Botanical Scents of the Season
By Stefanie Verish, Horticulturalist
The atmosphere of autumn embraces us all, through crisp mornings, fiery foliage, and warm comfort dishes. We can’t escape the smell of pumpkin spice and cinnamon, but the Cleveland Botanical...more
October 13, 2023
Enlisting Fungi to Help Bring Trees Back to Our Cities
By Lydia Jahn, Research Specialist
Mushroom Month might be over, but we aren’t done celebrating mushrooms just yet because October 15th is National Mushroom Day! If you’ve been keeping up with our blog posts for...more
October 13, 2023
Nasturtiums, Yum!
By Sommer Tolan, Horticulturalist
Fall colors have arrived, but nasturtiums are putting on one last show before cooler weather moves in. These are a favorite annual flower among gardeners and add vibrant color to...more
October 10, 2023
Northeast Ohio seed bank wants to make an investment in Ohio’s forested future
By Ida Lieszkobszky, Freelance Journalist, Ideastream Public Media
Northeast Ohio’s Holden Forests and Gardens is the proud owner of a new bank, but this bank doesn’t want your money. Holden’s bank deals in seeds for trees, shrubs, and...more
October 10, 2023
What does a horticulturalist do at a public garden?
By Annie Rzepka Budziak, Director of Arboretum Horticulture
When asked to consider my favorite part of working at Holden Forests and Gardens, two answers immediately come to mind. First, the incredible team of people I have the privilege...more
September 29, 2023
3 Mushroom-Based Recipes to Celebrate the End of Mushroom Month
By Mary Pitts, MS, Research Specialist
We have arrived at the final blog post for September’s national mushroom month. We hope you enjoyed reading about our work on soil, fungi, and identifying mushrooms. This week we...more
September 27, 2023
It’s (Still) Poppin’: September 27th
By Ethan Johnson, Plant Records Curator
Autumn is in the air at the Holden Arboretum, and some cooler days and nights have arrived as well. Thankfully, there’s a great number of blooms to enjoy mixed in...more
September 26, 2023
A Story for the Ages Lives On: The Jesse Owens Olympic Oak Plaza Dedication
On Monday, September 25th, the team at University Circle Inc. dedicated the Jesse Owens Olympic Oak Plaza in Rockefeller Park just north of the Wade Lagoon. Elected officials, community leaders,...more
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