Mushroom hobbyists and foragers may be familiar with milk-cap mushrooms, a type of fungus named for their fruiting bodies that produce a “milky” or latex-like substance, especially when cut or otherwise damaged. Many species are edible and are popular among collectors across the globe. These mushrooms are most often identified by their ability to produce a milky latex, which can be white, creamy orange, a deep red or even a bright blue. Their gills can also “bruise” and turn a blue or green color when chemical compounds are exposed to air. This trait however is not exclusive to milk-cap mushrooms and should not be used as an end-all identification method. Edible, poisonous and psychedelic mushrooms can be deceptively similar in physical attributes.</p> “Milk-cap” mushrooms can refer to species from any of three main genera, including Lactarius</em>, one of our major groups of study. Like most fungal genera, Lactarius</em> contains both edible and non-edible species. We are looking into much smaller details, however: genetic diversity. In the Southern Rocky Mountains, there are roughly 30 to 60 species of mushrooms in the genus Lactarius</em>. Several studies have looked at the Lactarius</em> species of Colorado, but are lacking in providing a complete overview of all species and the complete genetic diversity of Lactarius</em> in the Southern Rocky Mountains. The research question here is: What is the true systematic diversity of the genus Lactarius</em> in Colorado and the Southern Rocky Mountains? (Systematics refers to the classification, relationships and naming of organisms, or taxonomy.)</p> As obligate symbionts, Lactarius</em> species rely on assorted host plant species in order to survive, and vice versa. Native to forests and shrublands across the globe, they most closely work with and depend on trees. This type of symbiotic relationship is called an ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. The fungi will focus mainly around the roots of these host plants, where they provide water and minerals to the plant, and receive carbohydrates in return. The fungi do not penetrate plant cells, but instead form a netting of cells that grows around and with the plant roots. Some species may show a higher specificity and focus only on a few host species, while some are generalists and can work with many hosts in their community. In either case, the ecological importance of Lactarius</em> is significant, as the health of the plant community relies on these types of fungi. Unique relationships between fungi and plant hosts are important to study not only for understanding how ecosystems operate, it is important for conservation and restoration. Understanding the form and function of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the environment will inform strategies for their use and policies in agriculture, conservation and ecological restoration.</p> </p> This blog post was written by Gary Olds, Ph.D. student at University of Colorado Denver. Gary is interested in environmental science and biodiversity. His research focuses on fungal diversity in the Colorado Rockies. </em></p>
You might think that there is nothing beautiful to see in the garden during the winter months, but if you slow down and take a closer look you may be surprised.</p> In the summer a tree’s bark is often overshadowed by its brilliant leaves, fragrant blooms and vibrant fruit, but it is a very important part of the tree. The bark serves as armor to ward off insects and drought; it is the life support of the tree, with inner layers carrying water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the tree, and sugars made during photosynthesis in the leaves traveling down in another interior layer, the phloem; and it is the face of the tree, giving it definition, character and beauty.</p> As a tree matures, the growth of the outer layer can’t keep up with the expanding of the wood growing underneath, and so the bark begins to form different shapes and textures as it grows and repairs itself.</p> Each tree species has its own unique bark pattern, and with some keen observation you will begin to see the hidden layers of beauty that trees hold.</p> As you start your tour walking down the allée of crabapple trees (Malus </em>spp. and cultivars) in Shady Lane you will notice that the trees to your left are much larger then the trees on the right. That’s because the trees on your left were planted in the late 1970s and the trees on the right were planted after 2010 when the new greenhouses were built. Now, look at the difference in the bark. You will discover that the tree’s bark changes with age. Young trees often have smooth, flawless bark; as the tree ages the bark begins to transform and weather, creating unique patterns specific to that tree species.</li> As you enter Oak Grove, notice the similarities of their bark patterns. The large bur oak, Quercus macrocarpa,</em> in the center of the grove has very furrowed bark patterns. Can you see any other furrowed bark in Oak Grove?</li> Exit Oak Grove at the west end and turn right, back toward Shady Lane. On your left you can’t miss the bald cypress, Taxodium distichum</em> ‘Pendens’, and its magnificent bark. The curling bark keeps outer bark thin, allowing sunlight to reach the photosynthetic cork skin, giving the tree an extra boost before its needles flush out in the spring. Yes, trees perform photosynthesis through their bark, although not as efficiently as through leaves; this helps sustain the tree during the winter months.</li> As you walk around the pond to the Hive Garden Bistro, the large hackberry trees, Celtis occidentalis,</em> tower over the patio with their unique bark structure. Examine this bark and compare the difference between the trunk and the newer branch bark. Hackberries are known for their warty bark texture and this is best displayed as you look up at the tree’s branches.</li> Make your way to the cutleaf European white birch trees, Betula pendula</em> ‘Gracilis’, next to the wooden bridge near Cheesman Gate. This unique bark is not only stunning in the garden, but this white color reflects sunlight and reduces potential for sun damage, especially during our winter months.</li> </ul> Take some time as you walk through the rest of the Gardens to slow down and observe the countless patterns and textures that tree bark displays. Realizing that bark is not only a vital part of a tree’s structure, but that it also defines the tree’s beauty will help you see trees during the winter months in a whole new way.</p>
</p> The common name for this plant says it all, king of bromeliads. One glance at this striking specimen and you will know why it bears this name and why it is so highly sought after by plant collectors.</p> It has been a part of the tropical plant collection at Denver Botanic Gardens since 1978 and is currently on display in the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory along the north pathway closer to the east side.</p> The species name (hieroglyphica</em>) of this plant refers to the dark horizontal banding patterns. This plant is endemic to southeast Brazil where it would naturally grow attached to tree branches. A mature plant has 30-40 leaves up to 3 inches wide and can reach 3 feet wide at maturity. Mature plants typically bloom in late spring/summer when plants are mature. Flower spikes are quite tall, 2 to 3 feet high and bear creamy yellow flowers.</p> Be sure to seek out this plant on your next trip through the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory.</p>
You know what they say—home is where the heart is and also where the lichens are. Actually, as far as I can tell I’m pretty much the only one who says that part about lichens. (I’m trying to get it started though—pass it on.) But it’s true, and it’s not just the lichens—it’s also where the cacti, pikas, grasses, cows, cottonwoods, sunflowers, trout, sagebrush and dung beetles are, among many others. You probably don’t have lichens growing on your couch or dung beetles hanging out in your living room watching Netflix, but your home is not just the place where you can wear your ratty old sweatpants without judgement. Your home is also the broader habitat in which you live, and the deeply interconnected network of organisms of all shapes and sizes that you share it with.</p> Welcome Home: Meet Your Habitat</em> is a new exhibition in the Science Pyramid that explores these interconnections, featuring natural and human-made objects combined with interactive digital stories about the invisible depths of our bonds with nature. Meet the plants, animals and fungi that share our home across landscapes, from prairies to ponds to cities.</p> They might not have brought you cookies when you moved in, but these organisms share our neighborhoods just like our human neighbors do. Take a look around Denver and you’ll see crows complaining to each other on top of telephone poles, mushrooms sprouting along sidewalks, moths searching for a tasty dinner in gardens and flowers soaking up the sun in parks. And that’s just the urban spaces—we also share habitat and resources with rural and even alpine areas. Relax in a bubble bath and you’re using water that once originated as snow from a pika’s chilly mountain home; water your garden and that water may end up as a cool drink for a cottonwood further downstream.</p> Welcome Home</em> features some easy, practical things you can do to steward water and other natural resources to support both our human and non-human neighbors and the health of our shared home. Need a breather? Pull up a comfy chair in the Habitat Lounge area and learn about the ways that organisms are adapted to their habitats and how you can adapt your behaviors to your own environment.</p> Don’t miss meeting the neighbors with this new Science Pyramid exhibit (also a great way to warm up if you’re enjoying the Gardens on a snowy day). Admission is included with admission to the Gardens. And if you could help me get that whole "home is where the lichens are” thing going, I would appreciate it.</p>
If the short days of winter have you longing for colorful tropical blossoms, there is no better place to get your flower-fix than the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. There are hundreds of plants to see and many are in bloom and ready to chase your winter doldrums away.</p> As you enter from the main lobby, you are immediately greeted by a clump of Dichorisandra </em> thyrsiflora</em> </em>or blue ginger. While the common name suggests this plant is in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae</em>) it is actually in the same family as Tradescantia</em> or wandering Jew (Commelinaceae</em>). This plant blooms sporadically throughout the year and warrants a close-up look.</li> While you are in the area, look in the pond and see if you can spot our new bird residents. The Denver Zoo has loaned us a pair of Hottentot teal (Spatula hottentota</em>) for our visitors to enjoy. These small ducks are native to eastern and southern Africa as wells as Madagascar where they hang out in shallow pools and marshy areas. Having an animal presence in the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory helps underline the importance of complete ecosystems – where plant and animal life both flourish.</li> Across from the pond and along the south pathway, you can see Clerodendrum </em>x speciosum</em> or glorybower putting on a big display. There are many colorful parts to this flower. The bright orange-red petals, the pink/lavender calyx and the metallic green sheen of the fruits. This colorful vine is native to tropical Africa.</li> Along the north wall next to the elevator is a beautiful clump of Seemannia sylvatica</em> or Bolivian gloxinia. This colorful member of the African violet family (Gesneriaceae</em>) is native to South America – mainly in Bolivia and Peru. Take a look inside the flower and enjoy all the detailed patterns.</li> At the west end of the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory near the exit, you will find a cute little ornamental pineapple – Ananas lucidus </em>‘Red Smoothie'. The species parents of this cultivated variety would be found growing naturally as a terrestrial bromeliad across much of South America. The brightly colored fruit is mainly ornamental and too "woody” to be worth eating.</li> Behind the pineapple is a large clump of Costus barbatus</em> or spiral ginger. Although these look like large flowers, the red segments are not part of the actual flower itself. The true flowers are the small yellow blossoms at the top which are pollinated by hummingbirds. This plant is native to Costa Rica.</li> </ul> There are many more flowers to discover as you explore the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory. We hope you’ve enjoyed your winter escape.</p>
</p> The holidays are gleaming brighter than ever at Blossoms of Light™</a> this year at York Street, and thousands of visitors have already booked their tickets to enjoy the dazzling display of lights. We love welcoming first-time guests to this annual event, but we also work hard to redesign the show every year so that long-time members and visitors always have something new to look forward to.</p> How long does it take to design Blossoms of Light?</strong></p> The lead coordinators will start designing next year’s show while the current display is still up. It’s much easier to identify the areas where we need more lights, the color palettes we like and the changes we’d like to make while the gardens are still aglow with lights. After the initial walkthrough, we continue to adjust the design, modify color palettes, add or subtract trees and evaluate the experience as a whole before finalizing the design in late spring.</p> How much of the design stays the same from year to year?</strong></p> We re-assess the entire display every year, and to keep things fresh, almost every garden gets a new color palette. Usually, even if we really love the way an area looks, we won’t keep it the same for more than a couple of years. But don’t think that we forget our favorites! Palettes we like might simply move to a new location. We may also bring back colors to a certain feature after a break – this year, the teal tree in the Annuals Garden made a triumphant return! We are also always working to bring new special features to life to round out the display. This year, be sure to check out our immersive 360-degree lighting experience in Oak Grove, or the all-new projections on the Science Pyramid!</p> What factors do you consider when choosing color palettes? </strong></p> This is one of our favorite parts of the design process, but also one of the most challenging! When selecting colors, we think about the balance of “cool” and “warm” palettes, which colors look good together, where to incorporate traditional holiday palettes as opposed to more unique combinations, which colors are available in each size of bulb and more. We also think about the plant material we are decorating: would a garden look better with lots of colors, or would it be better to only select one or two colors?</p> How do you decide whether or not to decorate certain trees or plants? </strong></p> We work closely with the Gardens’ horticulturists to determine which trees and plants can be decorated. Some trees have fragile bark or branches or may be healing from a heavy spring snowfall, so we avoid those trees and exclude them from our design. For other trees, it comes down to basic logistics: if the trunks and canopies cannot be reached by ladders, buckets or climbers, then we won’t be able to decorate it. Finally, there are some areas where we would love to add more trees, but we’ve maxed out our electric power in the vicinity and don’t want to risk blowing a circuit.</p> Why are certain gardens not open during the event? </strong></p> While we’d love to open the entire property for Blossoms of Light, there are some realities of operating a night-time event in a snowy city that we must accept. Certain pathways are difficult to keep clear of snow, ice and water. We also consider how wide a path is and whether or not it is paved. Welcoming thousands of guests each night can cause crowding on narrow pathways, and unpaved paths would get messy very quickly!</p> Blossoms of Light is open every night through Jan. 3, 2020. Advance purchases are highly recommended to get the best price and to ensure admittance on your desired date. </strong></p> Get your tickets today!</a></p>
</p> In just a few days, the Gardens will dress up for Halloween for Glow at the Gardens™</a>, our nighttime celebration of all things pumpkin. Using all real pumpkins grown by local farmers, our team of pumpkin artists will create nearly a dozen larger-than-life pumpkin sculptures, hand-carved showpiece pumpkins, and of course, hundreds and hundreds of classic jack-o’-lanterns. While we love the elaborate sculptures, the classic jack-o’-lanterns hold a special place for us: after all, there is no symbol of Halloween more quintessential than the jack-o’-lantern!</p> But… why? Where did this tradition actually come from? Why do we all buy an over-sized gourd, carve one side into a scary face and plop it on the porch with a candle for all to see? The truth is that no one is really sure! The practice likely evolved from traditions stemming from a variety of cultures. There are, however, a few stories and themes that seem consistent from source to source.</p> Most agree that the word “jack-o’-lantern” developed in 1660s English folklore and was another name for a "will-o’-the-wisp": a phenomenon of faint lights appearing over bogs and wetlands that was commonly associated with magic and fairies. Variations of the will-o’-the-wisp story are present in folklore all over Europe.</p> It is also known that gourd and vegetable carving has been observed in numerous cultures for hundreds of years. The Irish seem like the most likely candidates for bringing the idea to the United States, as they are known to have carved turnips and beets into ghoulish faces representing goblins or spirits. In the United States, where pumpkins were readily available, the turnips and beets were no longer the ideal canvas.</p> Another legend is that of Stingy Jack, a blacksmith who managed to hoodwink the devil through a series of clever ruses into never claiming his soul. Upon his death, he was fated to linger on earth for all eternity and has only a burning coal to light his way, becoming known as "Jack of the Lantern."</p> Regardless of its origin, the jack-o’-lantern is easily one of the most important elements of American Halloween celebrations. Whether it’s a single jack-o’-lantern on your stoop or a display of hundreds of spooky faces side by side at Glow at the Gardens, there’s nothing like a hollowed-out pumpkin with a candle inside to evoke the nostalgia of trick-or-treating, costume contests, haunted houses and spooky October nights.</p> Join us Oct. 21-25, 2019 to celebrate the jack-o’-lantern in all its glory at Glow at the Gardens. Tickets are extremely limited and are expected to sell out in advance. Purchase tickets </strong>online</strong></a> or at the Bonfils-Stanton Visitor Center at 1007 York Street. </strong></p> New this year! Stop by the Gardens York Street location on Saturday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., to take home a jack-o’-lantern from the show for free, while supplies last!</strong> Gardens' membership or admission required for entry.</p>
</p> With the temperatures still soaring into the high 80s, it’s hard to believe that it’s already time to prepare our gardens for fall bulb planting. But, if a thriving bed of brilliant or pastel blooms is your goal for this spring, now is the time to begin! Our annual Fall Plant & Bulb Sale</a> is the perfect place to shop for your bulbs, tubers and rhizomes.</p> Like any type of gardening, bulb planting can feel overwhelming if you’ve never done it before. Fortunately, we have a team of experts that can give you a leg up on making your flower beds the envy of the neighborhood.</p> Planning</strong></p> Before buying your bulbs, consider the following:</p> Will you plant them in a shady or sunny location?</li> When do you want your flowers to bloom? In general, crocus, snowdrops, dwarf iris and Siberian squill are very early bloomers. Grape hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, fritillaria and common hyacinths come next. Alliums, bearded iris, Dutch iris and foxtail lilies bloom in late spring or early summer.</li> How much water will you give your bulbs? How often do you run your irrigation?</li> Do you want bulbs that come back year after year without replanting or will you want to change your bulb display, using different types and colors?</li> Do you have lots of squirrels in your area? Focus on planting bulbs that squirrels don’t like to avoid them digging up and ruining your display. </li> </ul> Purchasing</strong></p> When buying bulbs, make sure they are firm and healthy looking. Some surface damage is okay as long it doesn’t compromise the bulb’s performance. At Fall Plant & Bulb Sale, our horticulture staff can assist you with making these evaluations.</li> Make sure you read the instructions on each bulb package to understand when they need to be planted, how deep and what sort of care they require.</li> If you aren’t planting your bulbs immediately, be prepared to store them in a dry, dark place that is cool but not freezing. Bulbs should not be stored in a refrigerator where fruits and vegetables are also stored.</li> </ul> Planting</strong></p> Amend your soil if needed to ensure good drainage, which is essential for all bulbs. </li> For planting spring blooming bulbs in the Denver area, the best time to plant is October when the average soil temperature is about 55˚F. If you plant too early, the warmer soil temperatures may burn the flower already developing inside the bulb and it won’t bloom.</li> For fall blooming bulbs, plant them immediately and they will bloom this fall.</li> In general, plant bulbs 3-4 times as deep as the height of the bulb with the tip facing up and the root zone facing down. Imagine 3-4 bulbs stacked on top of each other. Some bulbs are exceptions to this rule, so refer to the instructions for each bulb. If your soil has more clay, plant them a little shallower. If your soil is sandy, plant them a little deeper.</li> When planting lots of bulbs across a large area, dig the entire area to the desired depth. Then, place your bulbs as desired and fill back in with the soil you removed. This will go much faster than digging individual holes!</li> Water the bulbs very well after you plant them. This watering is important for the root formation that begins shortly after planting.</li> Fertilizer is not necessary with the initial planting. Bone meal for bulbs is not recommended in most Denver soils.</li> </ul> Post-Bloom</strong></p> After the plants bloom in the spring, leave the foliage to die back on its own. By doing so, the bulb receives maximum energy through photosynthesis for next season’s bloom.</li> To hide the fading foliage, plant summer-blooming annuals or perennials near the bulbs.</li> If you planted bulbs that naturalize, don’t deadhead and let them go to seed so they will increase.</li> </ul> Stop by the Fall Plant & Bulb Sale this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27 and 28, to pick up plants and bulbs for your own fall garden. Members receive 10 percent off all purchases! </strong> Free admission to the Plant & Bulb Sale and to the Gardens.</p>
