James G. Kaskey Memorial Park – Home of the BioPond and Biology Greenhouse

The James G. Kaskey Memorial Park honors its past as the first Botanic Garden of the University of Pennsylvania, bolsters research and educational opportunities within the Department of Biology, and enriches community well-being by creating a verdant oasis for plants and people.

This month in the park:

The Gloriosa lily, Gloriosa superba, was dormant just a few weeks ago, and is now blooming with fiery flowers.
Warm days bring many out to the pond to watch the wildlife that lives there.
Ficaria verna, also known as lesser celandine, is a noxious introduced invasive species that, unfortunately, thrives in the moist soils of the park.
A view of the western Fernery, with many ferns just beginning to emerge.
Phacelia bipinnatifida is a native biennial, meaning that it completes its life cycle in two seasons. The first year it accrues energy by just having foliage, and the second year it spends that energy by producing flowers and seeds.
Late April marks the beginning of Azalea season at the park.
Different species of Trillium are dotted throughout the Woodland Garden.
A close up of the fuzzy unfurling fronds of Osmunda ferns.
A native Delphinium, D. tricorne, blooms amongst a backdrop of other native spring flowers.
The green chairs begin to disappear into the foliage as the season progresses.
Primula meadia, is a plant from eastern North America. These flowers have specially adapted to be pollinated by the buzzing of bees.
New interpretation in the park shares seasonal information about what is growing.
Magnolia 'Brenda' is a cultivar of M. acuminata (the cucumber magnolia), which gives it its yellow blooms.
The South Lawn is a tapestry of color, mostly composed of daffodils, tulips, and honesty plant.
These peony tulips, Tulipa 'Sunlover' offer as much color variation as number of petals!
Dogwood flowers, Cornus florida, highlighted by afternoon sun.
The pretty pink anthers on this Aronia is a detail that shouldn't be overlooked!
The acid yellow flowers of Euphorbia polychroma typify the fresh colors of the season.
Tulipa kaufmanniana, the water lily tulip, is a species tulip, similar to those that one might find growing in the wild.
The Carolina silverbell, Halesia carolina, blooms with pendulous white flowers in April, which are irresistible to bees.
The unique bottlebrush flowers of Fothergilla major do not have any petals, but instead are entirely composed of reproductive parts.
Fragrant flowers of this lilac, Syringa vulgaris cv., permeate the South Lawn with their sweet scent.
Bright yellow flowers of the woods-poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum, lights up any shady planting.
Flowers of Staphylea trifolia develop into inflated seed pods, so when they fall off they can float down waterways, seeding themselves in as they go.
Asimina triloba, the pawpaw, has deep red flowers, because it is pollinated by carrion insects like flies and beetles, who mistake the flower for decomposing meat.
Our stand of Neviusia alabamensis, Alabama snow wreath, is over 100 years old!
Blooms of the pink banana, Musa velutina.

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