The arboretum includes mature trees and
limestone bluffs, with nearly of trails and two bridges across Wolf Creek, a major tributary of the
Blue River. The Arboretum opened in 1990 and the first garden was dedicated in 1996. The arboretum has been developed over 20 years, with nearly 85 percent of the site set aside for natural ecosystems. The remaining property is earmarked for gardens, buildings, etc.
Ecosystems At present, 8 ecosystems have been identified within the arboretum: • Dry-Mesic Prairie - grasses such as
big bluestem,
little bluestem, and
Indian grass. • Dry Oak-Savanna - widely spaced
oaks in a
prairie invaded by woody species. • Dry Oak-Hickory -
shagbark hickory,
black oak, and
post oak. • Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest -
white ash,
bitternut hickory,
shagbark hickory,
hackberry,
leatherwood,
bur oak,
red oak,
chinquapin oak,
pawpaw, and
black walnut. • Riparian Woodland -
green ash,
eastern cottonwood,
elm,
hackberry,
bitternut hickory,
silver maple,
honey locust,
red mulberry,
bur oak,
osage-orange,
sycamore,
black walnut, and
black willow. • Wooded Draws -
juniper,
rough-leaf dogwood,
red elm, and
buck brush as well as
pale purple coneflower,
milkweeds,
prickly pear, and grasses. • Dry Wooded Swales - Similar to the Wooded Draws but with dryer, shallower soil. • Old Field - a severely disturbed zone due to over-grazing and cropping.
Gardens Gardens developed to date are: • Betsy and Gordon Ross Herb Garden (unknown opening) - shows a variety of common (and uncommon)
herbs. • Welcome Garden (1991) - welcomes visitors with a colorful arrow of plants and flowers. • Erickson Water Garden (1996) - unusual aquatic and
bog plants, a
Buddleia collection,
wildflowers and ornamental grasses. • Marder Woodland Garden (1999) - a woodlands trail through
ferns,
dogwoods, native understudy, and a
rhododendron and
azalea garden. • Legacy Garden (2000) - plants native or naturalized to
Kansas. • Children's Discovery Garden (2000) - a story tree, frog pond,
mulberry wood, and other amusements for children. • Cohen Iris Garden (2001) - a colorful showcase of
Iris Varieties. • Monet Garden (2003) - a one-acre recreation of the famous
Water Lilies series by
Claude Monet. It attempts to emulate the style of Monet's famous paintings of the gardens at
Giverny. • Train Garden (2012) - The first railroad layout, The Leaky Roof Line, was completed in 2012. Soon the Leatherwood Depot – a sheltered area with picnic tables was constructed in 2013. The Arboretum's version of Old Downtown Overland Park and the Strang Line Trolley was opened in 2014. The final phase of the garden opened in 2019. • Stous Promenade (2015) - a collection of trees, open to reserve for weddings. == See also ==