Get Growing Blog
Connecting people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants.
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January 30, 2025
Witch Hazel: The Unexpected Beauty of Winter
By Alexandra Faidiga, Assistant Curator
When you hear “witch hazel” (sometimes spelled witch-hazel), you might think of the ingredient that is commonly used as an astringent in cosmetics and an antiseptic in topical ointments. But... more
January 16, 2025
Seedling Scramble: How Warming Changes Plant Communities
By Anna Funk, PhD, Science Communications Specialist
Kirtland, OH — Our world is warming, and how exactly that will affect our ecosystems is a critical question. As the climate shifts, plants and animals are already responding in... more
January 16, 2025
Fall in Love All Over Again: Cleveland’s Favorite Orchid Show Returns to the Botanical Garden
(CLEVELAND) January 16, 2024– Let orchids capture your heart at the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s annual flower show, Orchids: Love in Bloom. Opening on Friday, February 14 and running through Sunday,... more
January 8, 2025
Holden’s Wildflower Garden Is a Living Laboratory for Climate Change Research—Here’s What Our Researchers Have Learned
Public gardens like the Holden Arboretum and the Cleveland Botanical Garden are great places to visit. But patrons exploring the latest Frost event might miss that behind the scenes, these... more
December 5, 2024
The Incredible Life Beneath Our Feet
By Sarah Kyker, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate
World Soil Day is held annually on December 5th as a way to foster awareness for soil conservation. This year’s theme for World Soil Day is “Caring for Soils: Measure,... more
November 8, 2024
Holden researchers put forest management strategies to the test. Here’s what they found
By Anna Funk, Science Communication Specialist
Private landowners play a critical role in preserving Ohio’s natural heritage where a majority of the state’s eight million acres of forest are privately owned. To manage these forests, land... more
November 5, 2024
Composting in the Costa Rica Glasshouse
By Caitlin Weber, Horticulture Biomes Assitant
The Costa Rica glasshouse at Cleveland Botanical Garden is full of luscious Neotropical plants, many of which grow rapidly due to the ideal climatic conditions the glasshouse provides, including bountiful... more
October 23, 2024
The Invasive Threat of Siberian Elm in Ohio
By Rob Dzurec, Senior Horticulturist
The Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila), originally from northern Asia, was introduced to North America in the mid-1800s for its hardiness and rapid growth. While it was initially valued for these... more
October 17, 2024
Frost: An Ice-Capped Garden Experience presented by KeyBank, opens November 23
(CLEVELAND) October 17, 2024 – Year two of Northeast Ohio’s most exciting winter show, Frost: An Ice-Capped Garden Experience presented by KeyBank, at the Cleveland Botanical Garden is just around... more
October 11, 2024
Take a Hike Amidst Autumn Colors
By Ethan Johnson, Plant Records Curator
On October 10th, Holden Arboretum had frost for the first time this season! The nighttime temperatures have also been chilly at Cleveland Botanical Garden. These cold nights are bringing out... more
September 16, 2024
Best Practices of Backyard Bird Feeding
By Kenzie Morris, Conservation Intern
Backyard bird feeding is a popular and enjoyable activity for many nature enthusiasts. It offers a chance to observe and appreciate local wildlife up close. However, while bird feeding can... more
September 13, 2024
Edible Mushrooms and Their Poisonous Look-alikes
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
If you are new to identifying mushrooms, I recommend that you read my earlier article, How to identify mushrooms and other fungi, for context and terminology before reading on. Mushroom... more
September 6, 2024
Common Lawn Mushrooms and What To Do About Them
By Claudia Bashian-Victoroff, MS, Research Specialist
As a scientist at HF&G, I often hear questions like, “How can I get rid of mushrooms in my yard?” or “Is it safe to have mushrooms in my lawn?”.... more
September 5, 2024
The Holden Arboretum Welcomes Fall with Fun Events and Experiences for All Ages
(CLEVELAND) September 5, 2024 – Fall in love with the Holden Arboretum and all its beauty during the new season starting with Fall Forest Fest, a celebration of autumn the... more
September 5, 2024
Cleveland Botanical Garden Celebrates Fall with Events and Experiences for All Ages
(CLEVELAND) September 5, 2024 – Fall is almost here, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden will be all decked out with autumn pumpkins, plant displays and plenty of colorful fall foliage.... more
August 30, 2024
Fall Color Arrives in Northeast Ohio
By Ethan Johnson, Plant Records Curator
A significant number of trees and shrubs have been sporting fall foliage in recent weeks in the fields and gardens of the Holden Arboretum. Tupelo, red maple, Manchurian ash, silky... more
August 15, 2024
Holden Forests & Gardens benefit, Harvest Moon, returns to the Cleveland Botanical Garden
Join us for an enchanting evening where Northeast Ohio’s top chefs will showcase their exquisite culinary creations, offering an array of captivating flavors to delight your palate (CLEVELAND)August 15, 2024... more
August 6, 2024
Happy birthday, Holden Seed Bank!
By Anna Funk, PhD, Science Communications Specialist
The Holden Seed Bank for regional restoration at the Holden Arboretum has just wrapped up its first year. We’re celebrating! We hope you’ll join us for “A Celebration of Seeds”... more
August 2, 2024
It’s Poppin’: August 2nd
By Alexandra Faidiga, Assistant Curator
Don’t let the August heat keep you from enjoying summer— cool off in the shady, forested gardens at the arboretum, or bring a little one to splash in the Hershey... more
July 31, 2024
The Strange and Astonishing Strangler Fig
By Sadie Smith, Horticulturist
If you’ve ever walked through the Costa Rica biome, you’ve probably noticed the enormous tree in the center of the room. While not a living tree, this structure is a... more
July 19, 2024
It’s Poppin’: July 19th
By Alexandra Faidiga, Assistant Curator
It’s mid-July and the summer wildflowers are putting on the type of show you dream about in the dead of winter. Treat yourself this weekend and come get inspired by... more
July 17, 2024
Save the Hymenopterans (Bees, Wasps and more!)
By M Onion, Nursery Plant Propagator Grower
Hymenopterans are the group of insects including bees, wasps, ants, and sawflies. “Sawfly” is the name applied to all but one group within the hymenopterans, making this group paraphyletic –... more
July 12, 2024
It’s Poppin’: July 12th
By Tom Arbour, M.En., Curator of Living Collections
The prairies are poppin’ at the Arboretum and the Roses are still blooming in the Garden – Here’s a sampling of what I observed this week as I visited our... more
July 5, 2024
It’s Poppin’: July 5th
By Alexandra Faidiga, Assistant Curator
Our plants aren’t big fireworks fans, but thankfully they aren’t scared of them either. The warm summer days and a bit of rain were enjoyed thoroughly this week. There’s an... more
July 3, 2024
The Necessity of Scrub-Shrub and Young Forests
By Jessica Miller Mecaskey, Consulting Forester
Thick, tangled foliage. Stems teeming in the order of thousands per square meter. A seeming chaos of new growth. To a human, these places are an unnavigable mess of saplings... more
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