A Living Museum: Plant Collections at Powell Gardens, Kansas City's botanical garden

1. A Living
Museum
Powell Gardens’
Plant Collections
By Alan Branhagen, Director of Horticulture at
Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s botanical gardenT M

2. 970 acres
includes…

3. 20 acres native prairie

4. woodlandswoodlands

5. succession
areas

6. wetlandswetlands

7. a growing collection
The plant records used to curate our collections are
called accessions and in 2014 numbered 20,000.
These records are an important long-term planning
and reference tool, and because we follow the
curation standards set by the American Public
Gardens Association, our work becomes part of a
larger effort to protect plants around the world.
For each type we record where the plants came from,
how many we received, how they arrived (seeds,
plugs, bulbs, etc.), and where they were planted. And
if they don’t survive, we record that, too.

8. Working behind the scenes
Powell Gardens is a living museum
with curated collections. Staff and
volunteers painstakingly record
all of the relevant data.
Herbarium
Dr. Paul Redfern
Marie Frye
Plant Records

9. into the wild
In 2014 we began documenting all of the wild plant
species growing at Powell Gardens as well. Having
these plants on record builds the credentials we need
to join Botanical Garden Conservation International,
which focuses on protecting endangered plants.

10. We even track plants that defy
captivity!

11. A look at some of
our major
collections

12. NAPCC Magnolia Collection
Maxine
Merrill
Ashe
Black Beauty
Leonard
Messel

13. ‘Frank’s Masterpiece’
‘Lilliputian’
‘DD Blanchard’
Elmwood Cemetery
Historic saucer
Magnolias
to plant:

14. Northern Sweetbay if you can have only one!

15. American Conifer Society
Reference Garden

16. Marvin Snyder

17. Tall Bearded Iris Collection
20 Years of
American Iris Society
Merit Winners

18. ‘Kansas City’
‘Janet
Lemon’
‘Announcement’

19. ‘Unforgetable
Fire’
‘Coral Sunset’
‘Pretty
Is’
‘Secret
Service’
‘Change
Of Pace’‘Pacific Destiny’

20. Iris

21. Collections we’re
currently expanding

22. Milkweed Collection

23. Legacy Tree project

24. Plant collections to
enjoy during a visit

25. Redbuds at entrance to the Visitor Center

26. Perennial Garden: 1,400 varieties

27. Jennifer Barnes’s picks:
Seven Sons Heptacodium
Japanese Anemones
Crape Myrtles
Toad Lilies Tricyrtis

28. Rock & Waterfall
Garden:
A collection of
shade-loving plants

29. Janet Heter’s picks:
Hellebores, Astilbes
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Uvularia grandiflora “Merrybells”

30. Meadow
&
Pavilion
by E.
Fay Jones

32. Queen Anne’s lace
late Mary Kay Powell’s
favorite wildflower
We’re selecting a pink version
to name after her.

33. Chapel: A showcase for native plants

34. Redbuds

35. Visitor
Center

36. Terrace Gardens, paint with plants
spring through fall

37. Brent Tucker’s picks:
Lantana, Begonias
Bromeliads, Passion vines

38. Conservatory

39. Parking Lot
Arboretum
Native Mo-Kan
Trees

40. Island Garden: Rock
garden and water plants

41. Living Wall

43. Rain Gardens

44. Fountain and Insectaries Garden

45. Heartland Harvest Garden: Nation’s largest edible landscape
with 2,000 food plants!

48. Tomato mania!
‘Martha Washington’
is Mark’s pick

49. Vegetables & Grains

51. Herbs Galore

52. Fruit and Nut Trees
Kikisui

53. Contender
Chojuro
Coco
Fruit Trees!

54. We look forward to
seeing you at
Powell Gardens!
www.powellgardens.org