We have recently databased and imaged selected genera of British Algae held in the herbarium as part of a project run by the Natural History Museum, London. The…
The herbarium at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is an archive of preserved plants that is also a hive of activity; botanists busying themselves describing new species or…
Not all deciduous leaf, autumn colours are fiery shades. The foliage on the Euonymus sieboldianus growing in the glasshouse border is virtually translucent. Just as rewarding in the…
A new RBGE publication documents, and pays belated tribute, to a pair of intrepid and enterprising botanists. The latest in a series of studies by Henry Noltie on…
Do you want to escape the cold and rain for some African warmth this weekend? You can join a walking storytelling promenade performance in the Glasshouses this Saturday…
With leaves dropping, now is the time to consider planting deciduous material. When choosing a site it is recommended to research the growing conditions in the native habitat…
A beautiful mandala was created in the garden yesterday from leaves, fruits and flowers. Celebrating the bounty of autumn, this transient piece of art is on the grassy slope…
Young plants of Euonymus oxyphyllus have enjoyed this summer’s climate. The fruit produced are held pendulously on this season’s growth. The fleshy capsule, segmented into five parts is…
Valdivia gayana is a diminutive woody perennial from Chile that could be mistaken for a dandelion when not in flower. In fact, the local Chilean name ‘Planta de…
Holyrood Park is home to a great variety of plants. Among them are some that are relative rarities and these are carefully monitored by the Historic Scotland Ranger…
Actaea pachypoda – Fleshy and fruity Macleaya cordata – Dry and noisy Two herbaceous plants from opposing continents both doing what they should; setting a store of seed…
Apples are a feast for the senses. The variety of size and colour is incredible. Small varieties have fruits little bigger than a golf ball while the aptly…
As part of the Scottish Plants Project we are trying to understand the propagation requirements of 170 of Scotlands’s most threatened or vulnerable species. We are well on…
Swelling nicely for the Halloween harvest is a patch of Pumpkins. These trailing members of the Cucurbitaceae family have appreciated the warmth of this summer. Cucurbita maxima ‘Yellow…
By domesticating wild plants to create our familiar crops we have selected desirable traits like disease resistance, yield and flavour. The Really Wild Veg project has been examining…
Wild plants are not only part of our landscape, they are integral to our culture and history. Plantlife’s unique project celebrates our fascination with wild plants in the form of…
When working through endless spreadsheets of data occasionally something jumps out because it looks odd. Scanning down the list of living Clematis at RBGE the accession number 19021013 set…
Blooms resembling a chalice are opening on the vigorous growth of Solandra grandiflora covering the railing of the elevated walkway in the temperate house. Planted in the border…