Tree Time

One hundred and fifty years seems like such a long time to people, but it's just a quarter-inch of trunk diameter to some trees. Average age for a pin oak is just about 100 years, while the bald cypress is just hitting its stride after 600 years. The Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard; 314-577-9400 or www.mobot.org) is exactly 150 years old today — the average age for an Eastern red cedar, by the way — and it celebrates the occasion by dropping admission prices to a tidy $1.50 per person. There's also a slew of events to mark the special day, such as roaming stilt walkers, balloon artists, historical presentations and even an outdoor screening of the family-friendly film Over the Hedge — appropriate, eh? — at 8:30 p.m. And as always, there's plenty of the natural beauty that the garden's famous for cultivating. Here's hoping MOBOT has the genetics of the giant sequoia and enjoys a lifespan of 2,000 years.
Mon., June 15, 2009