Where to See the Botanical Gardens, Arboretums, and Native Plant Landscapes in Kansas
The beauty and diversity of the Kansas landscape can sometimes become lost in the clutter of daily life.
So it only seems natural that three unique botanical destinations are striving to reconnect people with the beauty of all that grows in Kansas. A visit to any of these gardens will help motivate visitors to care more for their environment, teach them to better appreciate what can grow here and inspire them to use new plants and materials in their own gardens.
Dyck Arboretum of the Plains
Long before settlers arrived in the Kansas territory, the region was awash in the beauty of the prairie landscape, with its native wildflowers and grasses. The goal of the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains is to introduce visitors to the diversity and beauty of a four-season garden, promote the restoration and preservation of prairie environments and encourage the use of native plant materials in home landscapes.
“The idea when we started was that people would get to know the native plants best if they hold the plant in their hand or put a seed in their own land and watch it sprout and grow,” says Julie Torseth, the arboretum’s executive director.
The arboretum, along the southern edge of Hesston, fills 29 acres and includes displays of native wildflowers in managed gardens and a 16-acre stand of restored prairie. The garden displays include more than 300 native species of wildflowers, grasses and shrubs, counting just about anything found growing naturally on the prairie, from coneflowers to primrose and compass plants to Indian grass. The intention is to demonstrate how native plants can be incorporated into home landscapes under a variety of conditions, like sunny patches or shady spots.
“Today, we have one of the largest collections of native plants, wildflowers and grasses under cultivation in Kansas,” Torseth says.
Arboretum staff members also work with area landowners in restoring prairies on private property and educating them on ways to manage the land in a manner that encourages wildflower diversity. Other initiatives include an Earth Partnership for Schools, designed to help establish native plants at Kansas schools, and the Prairie Window Concert Series that features acoustic art performers in the arboretum.
Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
If it grows in Kansas, native or not, chances are it is growing at this 300-acre site in south Overland Park.
“We like to think we have something for everybody,” says Karen Kerkhoff, park supervisor. “There is something to see here every day.”
Thirty acres of the park are dedicated to nine unique gardens, which focus on a variety of formal and natural habitats. The Erickson Water Garden, for example, features waterfalls, butterfly plants, wildflowers, ornamental grasses and a show of color every spring from the blooming dogwoods and redbuds. Water features play a significant role in all the gardens, adding to the serenity and beauty of spring flowers, summer foliage and fall color.
The Cohen Iris Garden features more than 300 varieties of irises, and the Monet Garden contains a colorful splash of annuals and perennials around a quiet pond. The Rotary Children’s Discovery Garden is designed to involve children with nature through a grass maze, frog pond and plenty of room to run and play.
The remaining 270 acres are dedicated to native woodlands and restored prairie. Four miles of mulch trails take visitors through diverse woodland habitats along Wolf Creek. More trails lead through a prairie landscape, where wildflowers create fields of color in spring and summer and grasses like big bluestem, Indian grass and switch grass reach for the sky in the fall.
Botanica, The Wichita Gardens
This tiny jewel of nature’s beauty is tucked neatly on nearly 10 acres within a residential area just west of downtown Wichita. Its compact size makes it easily accessible to visitors, but there’s plenty to see. Botanica features 25 themed gardens with bountiful displays of flowers, blooming shrubs and trees.
In the spring, Botanica comes alive as 200,000 bulbs erupt in bloom, including 47,000 tulips. When those blooms fade, the garden is refilled with 25,000 annuals, which create a fresh display paired with perennials, daylilies, azaleas and more. In the fall, the garden is filled again with 5,000 mums. In all, Botanica features more than 4,000 species of plants, all within easy walking distance.
“The design has been done so well,” says Mia Jenkins, the park’s director of marketing and communications. “It is all very intimate. You don’t have to walk very far to get to the next exhibit.”
A butterfly house provides a magical experience with up to 50 species of butterflies in free flight, while a rose garden showcases 90 varieties of roses. The Sally Stone Sensory Garden allows visitors to see, smell and touch an assortment of herbs. The garden is designed to meet the needs of sight-impaired and wheelchair-bound visitors.
Botanica is in the process of growing, having acquired an additional 27 acres, which will offer possibilities to expand the displays and allow the park to enhance its educational opportunities.
“We are centrally located but insulated from our surroundings,” Jenkins says. “We are a surprise—a hidden treasure. Here you will see the diversity of plants that grow in Kansas and take home some inspiration, take home a connection to what grows here.”
