In 1922, Dr. W. E. Upjohn gave a gift of peonies to the University of Michigan that would become what is now the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden.  Upjohn's significant gift has come full circle, as his family has come together on the 100th...

By Alyssa Abaloz     You may see them digging, trimming, mulching and planting, but the people who maintain the peony garden at Nichols Arboretum do much more than that. Curator David Michener has been with MBGNA since 1990. His work with the peony garden has...

Protecting and restoring native habitats is critically important to birds and other animals. With the help of students at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, we are proactively removing non-native woody and herbaceous plants and planting native species. It is truly transformative to see native plants and animals rewilding the places they once called home.

Trees, shrubs, and groundcover alike are blooming at Matthaei Botanical Gardens.Flowering crabapple. Photo: Kerry Sprague.Blue hyacinth dots the lawn in front of a drove of daffodils at MBG. Photo: Kerry Sprague.Fragrant viburnum at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Photo:...

The home range for Peonies includes Asia, western Europe, and two North American species. However, this beloved plant, well known for its beauty and role in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has traveled the world thanks to its specialized root system. 

The weeping cherry located in Dow Field at the Arb.Clusters of hellebores in bloom at the Arb. Photo: Michele Yanga.Yellow Dogwood blooms at the entrance to the Arb. Photo: Michele Yanga.Blue Hepatica in the Great Lakes Garden.Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) in the...

By Alyssa Abaloz   You may see them digging, trimming, mulching and planting, but the people who maintain the peony garden at Nichols Arboretum do much more than that.   Ahead of the garden’s centennial celebration, peony garden fellow Sarah Gizzi has been hard at...

Flowers are always plentiful in the tropical house. The brilliant orange blossoms of Pachystachys lutea, also known as the golden shrimp plant or lollipop plant, were a visitor favorite this week.A careful eye may be required to spot the blooms in the pictures below....

The black cherry tree overlooked Willow Pond at Matthaei Botanical Gardens.On February 21st, the buzz of chainsaws bustled the quiet landscape at Matthaei Botanical Gardens–removal of the landmark black cherry tree near Willow Pond was underway. This tree served our...

Members of the Gun Lake tribe in Michigan celebrate the return and harvest of an heirloom corn variety at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Photo: Punkin Shananaquet.‘Indigenous farmers are ‘rematriating’ centuries-old seeds to plant a movement’ examines the relationships...