The Passion Vine:  Young botanists and taxonomists work hard to learn the basics to identify plants.  Looking for rules often help – for example – flowers which have three of something tend to be monocots.  Flowers which are four or five merous tend to be dicots.  These early characteristics aid greatly in deducing what plant […]

One of our very own, Malinda, an ecological specialist is standing amidst one of our latest prairie restoration projects.  This 5.5 acre pollinator prairie is nestled into the heart of Frontenac, Missouri.  The prairie seed mix was planted last winter, there are lots of natives germinating and starting off on the right foot.  In each […]

SSM St. Clare Hospital is the site of one of the nicest native Missouri prairies in the metropolitan Saint Louis area.  Who knew?  Well, employees, patients and guests certainly know about it.  It completely surrounds the campus, offering a beautiful, serene setting in the midst of a very busy urban hospital. Twenty three acres of […]

Are you familiar with fantastic native of Missouri- found throughout the state in fields, roadsides hillsides – in fact almost everywhere.  The plant, Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohioensis,  is the most common of eight species native to the state.  The species freely hybridize with each other, often making them a botanist nightmare to key out with a […]