Archives

• UW Arboretum’s Native Gardening Conference Paused for 2026 June 16, 2026

  Over the past twenty years, thousands of gardeners have attended Native by Design: Gardening for a Sustainable Future to learn about sustainable gardening practices and… Read more

• What Is the Small Tower in Curtis Prairie? It's Science! May 15, 2026

  In mid-May, a small research tower was installed in Curtis Prairie. A flux tower – or eddy covariance tower – holds scientific instruments that measure fluctuating… Read more

• Volunteers Engage for the Good of the Community April 1, 2026

  April brings National Volunteer Week (April 19–25) and Earth Day (April 22) – a concentrated recognition of action by, and appreciation for, volunteers who care… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Wisconsin Turns Green April 1, 2026

  In April, shades of green usually return to the muted Wisconsin landscape, transforming it. Yellow-green, pale green, gray-green tinted with pink, bright green, and many… Read more

• Spring Is Prescribed Fire Season March 24, 2026

  Prescribed fire season is underway at the Arboretum. Wisconsin’s prairies, oak savannas, oak woodlands, and even some wetlands evolved to rely on fire for regeneration. Read more

• Celebrate Restoration Team Leaders – and Maybe Become One! February 26, 2026

  We are excited, come April, to continue a longstanding Arboretum program: training and welcoming new volunteer restoration team leaders! Since 2002, team leaders have directed… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Sunny Gardens February 26, 2026

  March may be the most anticipated month in the gardening year as the growing season approaches. It brings the beginning of meteorological spring (March 1),… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Garden Kits January 5, 2026

  Instead of marking a beginning in the garden, January is peak dormant season. Roots, buds, plant crowns at and under the soil surface,… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Gardener’s Bookshelf December 2, 2025

  December usually brings cold days, crisp air, freezing lakes, animal tracks, and snow shoveling. This month always brings the longest nights and the winter solstice,… Read more

• Learn, Lead, Repeat: The Summer Camp Staff Experience September 4, 2025

  Every summer, the Arboretum’s core staff is joined by a cohort of college students from UW–Madison and other campuses to help advance all facets of… Read more

• The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi July 16, 2025

  “Golden oyster mushrooms, with their sunny yellow caps and nutty flavor, have become wildly popular for being healthy, delicious and easy to grow at home… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Garden Animals June 2, 2025

  June brings the longest day lengths, warm temperatures, and usually ample precipitation. Plants grow rapidly and summer blooms begin. This month, garden tasks… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Sun to Shade May 1, 2025

  Wisconsin spring is in full swing in May and change is everywhere – budding, germination, decomposition, emergence, migration, fresh new growth, and warmth. Read more

• Taking the Next Step for Pollinators: Musings of a People and Nature Researcher April 3, 2025

  February 13, 2025. I traversed a snowy Arboretum with arcing trees layered in glittery white piping to attend the morning Winter Enrichment lecture… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Shrubs with Early Blooms February 27, 2025

  March often brings the end of winter, the beginning of spring, or simply the variability of this seasonal transition. Longer days, increasing sun… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Plants for a Garden Full of Life February 4, 2025

  During February, winter’s grip begins to loosen. Although Madison’s average daily temperature for the month is in the mid-20s, the average high temperature… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Planning for Pollinators January 7, 2025

  In our Wisconsin climate, January is an unlikely month for actual gardening, but seeding and planning for the new season is underway at the Arboretum. Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Winter Reading December 2, 2024

  December is the first month of meteorological winter and brings the shortest days of the year, often with cold and snow. Gardens are quiet this… Read more

• Gardening with Native Plants: Autumn Care and Reflections November 4, 2024

  Late fall arrives in November, with colder days, possible frosts, shifting winds, shorter daylength, and neutral colors. Plants go into dormancy; some still hold seeds. Read more

• On the Trails: Greene Prairie Boardwalk Removal October 31, 2023

  Greene Prairie is an amazing 47-acre restoration – named after botanist Henry Greene who independently hand-planted the area – located in the southern part of… Read more