One of the most important components of our mission is connecting people with the prairie. We try to accomplish this in a number of ways, such as through educational programs, plant sales, tours and the Earth Partnership for Schools program. There is a feeling of value, necessity, stewardship and even urgency to establishing a native plant wildlife garden. The arboretum is a model of this type of landscaping using prairie plants. It is our hope that visitors and members desire to learn more about the prairie ecosystem and/or see our displays and decide to follow our example by starting a prairie garden of their own.
One place to begin is to try a few native plants from our FloraKansas fall plant sale. You can start by transitioning the land surrounding your home to native plants. Believe it or not, even a small garden can make a difference. You will be amazed what happens by adding just a few wildflowers to your landscape. It will be a prairie oasis of beautiful plants that will provide habitat to a variety of pollinators and other wildlife.
Help the Monarchs by planting one of these milkweeds available at the sale.
- Common milkweed-Asclepias syriaca
Common milkweed
- Butterflyweed-Asclepias tuberosa
Butterflyweed
- Swamp Milkweed-Asclepias incarnata
Swamp milkweed
- Green Antelope Horn-Asclepias viridis
- Whorled Milkweed-Asclepias verticillata
- Sullivant’s Milkweed-Asclepias sullivantii
Plant a tree this fall. Here are the trees available at the sale.
- Downy Serviceberry-Amelanchier arborea
- Pawpaw-Asimina triloba
- Pecan-Carya illinoinesis
- Shagbark Hickory-Carya ovata
- Mockernut Hickory-Carya tomentosa
- Chestnut-Castanea mollissima ‘Bond Orchard Selection™20817’
- Redbud-Cercis canadensis
- Yellowwood-Cladrastis kentukea
- Eastern Wahoo-Euonymous atropurpurea
- Black Walnut-Juglans nigra ‘Orchard Selections’
- Eastern Hophornbeam-Ostrya virginiana
- Black Cherry-Prunus serotine
- White Oak-Quercus alba
- White Oak
- Bur Oak-Quercus macrocarpa
- Chinkapin Oak-Quercus huehlenbergii
- Dwarf Chestnut Oak-Quercus prinoides
- Shumard Oak-Quercus shumardii
- Post Oak-Quercus stellata
- Sassafras-Sassafras albidum
Do you have shade? Choose from some of these shade-loving perennials.
Woodland Phlox-Phlox divaricata
Woodland Phlox
Wild Columbine-Aquilegia canadensis
Native Columbine
- Golden Ragwort-Senicio aurea
- Wild geranium-Geranium maculatum
- Coral Bells-Heuchera varieties
- Bristleleaf Sedge-Carex eburnea
- Appalachian Sedge-Carex appalachica
- Pennsylvania Sedge-Carex pennsylvanica
- Solomon’s Seal- Polygonatum biflorum
- Wild Ginger- Asarum canadense
Does your landscape attract garden friendly wildlife? Do you implement good land management practices such as using less water, spreading less fertilizer, applying little or no insecticides? Utilizing wildflowers and grasses from the prairie in your landscape will foster a sustainable future for us and the world around us. Be part of the conservation movement. Imagine your native prairie garden combined with other native landscapes in our area providing food and habitat for a host of wildlife. It will make a difference.