What do you call a network used by trees to talk to each other?
The “Wood Wide Web.”
No, that’s not a dad joke but a real term for the complex system that allows trees to communicate by sending chemical signals via their roots. If one tree is struggling, others will chip in and send nutrients or water. If another is threatened by pests or disease, it will warn the others to boost their defenses.
This is one of the facts to be learned at Garfield Park Conservatory’s Spring Flower Show, “Rooted in Mystery,” which runs through May 11.
“It’s pretty fascinating stuff,” said Mary Eysenbach, director of conservatories for the Chicago Park District. “Some of the base ideas aren’t new. I knew about the signals that plants send out when I was in undergrad — that was a long time ago. But what they’re saying is some of the new stuff” in the research.
Related
- Garfield Park Conservatory to break ground on new $10 million children’s garden
- As cherry blossoms peak in Chicago, here’s how to get a peek before they’re gone
Visitors can search for more details — Eysenbach recommends the book “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben — but they will learn some basic information about the importance of roots in the show.
Of course, the main attractions are the resplendent flowers.
There isn’t a color scheme this year, but visitors will find some unique varieties among the azaleas, hydrangeas, tulips, snapdragons, pansies, hyacinths and more.
“What’s cool about the show is it always changes,” Eysenbach said. “So, you could have come at the end of February, but if you come tomorrow, it will be a different show because the plants have changed out.”
Spring flower show
Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show, “Rooted in Mystery”
When: Runs through May 11, Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 300 N. Central Park Ave.
Admission: Free for Chicago residents
Info: garfieldconservatory.org
On Saturday, patrons were greeted by a garden of tangerine-colored tulips outside the building. Once they entered the Show House, they were delighted by bursts of colors and fragrance, including from hanging baskets of jasmine. Near the entrance were unique, pink and white “Finola” tulips. The room’s beds were also accentuated, fittingly, with white “Miracle” Easter lilies and unusual “Lace Cap” hydrangeas. The latter plant features an outer ring of open petals and clusters of tiny flowers in the center.
Related
- North Lawndale’s historic Sears sunken garden closer to start of restoration
“They look like they have bald spots,” Eysenbach said, laughing.
The flowers in the show were selected by Peter Vrotsos, deputy director of horticulture for the Chicago Park District.
“I had free rein to pick what I wanted,” he said. “It was very fun. I go through catalog after catalog, and I’ll start with Post-its on the pictures and go from there. And then I narrow it down to what really jumps out at me.”
One of those plants is the small, “Honky Tonk” variety of tulip.
“It works really well in our region,” Vrotsos said. “It’s this sweet little yellow. It closes at night. It’s got just a patch of a pink-peach to it on the outside petals. During the day, it opens up completely so you can see the interior.”
Not to be outdone, the trees in the show are also visions to behold. Standouts include red and pink “Powderpuff Trees,” featuring round, fuzzy blossoms. Another rare plant on display is the Golden Chain Tree, a European native adorned with branches of yellow flowers .
Producing the show is a monthslong process. For example, the azalea and hydrangea bulbs are purchased and planted in the fall and kept in a cooler during the winter. Other flowers, like snapdragons, are grown from seeds or young plants called plugs.
The conservatory sources bulbs from the Netherlands and plants from nurseries and greenhouses throughout the U.S.
“Prices were already creeping up because of inflation,” Eysenbach said. “We haven’t quite seen the effects of tariffs yet, but we’re going to.”
Currently, the Show House is kept at about 55 to 65 degrees and the plants are watered daily.
On Saturday, the show was bustling with visitors awe by the atmosphere.
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” said Marina Menconi, a 23-year-old Elgin native who now lives in Nashville, but was in town visiting. “I grew up coming here. I love how it was always changing. Every time I walk in here I think, ‘This would be the perfect place for proposals and whatnot.’”
Luis Perez, 35, and Adriana Miranda, 31, said they planned to take advantage of the colorful backdrop to take pictures of their 8-month-old daughter, Catalina.
“It’s pretty much nature indoors,” Perez said.
“It takes you away from the outside world and chaos,” added Miranda, who was also there to promote the Wisconsin-based summer camp, Holiday Home Camp, where she works. “This place grounds me.”
