Category: Arb Talk

As of the 2017 Arb species list, Cowling Arboretum is home to four distinct species ofdogwoods, all in the genus Cornus. However, two species of dogwood are more common in…

Many of you are probably aware of the prevalence of squirrels on this campus. They are our entertaining friends, leaping from trees, burying acorns, scavenging the crumbs of our dinners outside on the Bald Spot.

As the bells rang one o’clock, students on campus quickly came out of the woodwork, eager to make the most of an oddly temperate and cloudless day. I haphazardly snatched…

Have you ever wondered about a little black bird that looks and acts a bit like a small crow? Most likely, you’ve spotted a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula). Grackles are…

Nestled within the serene landscapes of Minnesota lie the delicate and rare Dwarf Trout Lilies (Erythronium propullans), a species of wildflower that faces the threat of extinction. It is endemic…

Spring wildflowers have come to the Arb! As the invasive Siberian squill begins to fade away, the season starts for a native wildflower that blankets the forest floor: the white…

With the warm weather recently, many have been out walking around the Arb. You may have noticed that it is the height of the blooming season for a certain purple…

Not all trees can handle living next to the Cannon River this time of year. Trees that thrive in Minnesota’s floodplains must survive when the river bursts its banks each spring, dousing them in deep water.

Have you ever noticed weird bumps on a plant? They might actually be scale insects!

You might not notice a Kentucky coffeetree if it weren’t for its distinctive pods, which can be seen dangling from branches or picked up from the ground around it.