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History | What We Do | Friends of McCrory Gardens | Maps | Sights of the Gardens Children's Maze | Centennial Prairie Garden | Rock Garden | Tree Collections | Related Links CENTENNIAL PRAIRIE GARDEN The Centennial Prairie Garden, which we began planting in the spring of 1991, is sponsored by the Larson Manufacturing Company of Brookings. It contains a network of paths which border five planting communities. Each planting community, when finished, will contain plants characteristic of different prairie environments, from the tall grass and short grass prairies to the montane prairie of the Black Hills. The original North American prairie extended from the plains of Central Canada south to Texas and from Illinois west to the foothills of the Rockies in Colorado and Montana. This prairie was not a flat, uniform grassland: about 60-90 percent of the plants on the prairie were grasses, about 10-40 percent of the plants were forbs, and the mixtures were quite diverse. Only remnants of these original prairies remain today, scattered in state and federal parks, on private farms and ranches, and in prairie preserves. One cannot create a true replica of the prairie in a small space. The numerous micro-climates of the prairie are a result of interactions of varying soil types, pH, moisture, and exposure. The dynamic diversity of the grasses and forbs cannot be duplicated in a small garden. In the Prairie Centennial Garden we will try to show small 'snap-shots' of the true prairie. The communities will be planted with hardy, deep- rooted native plants, well adapted to wind, drought, heat, and cold. Most will be deep-rooted perennial grasses and forbs and some will be self- seeding annuals and biennials. We will include deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs, which are occasionally found on the prairie. Trees, shrubs and field stands will be used to give a sense of dimension, balance, and focal point to the prairie garden. All grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees will be native plants. Both aesthetics and function will be considered in the selection of plant species and their location. Grasses representative of a tall grass prairie include Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Little Bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Forbs typically associated with the tall grass prairie include Prairie Tickseed ( Coreopsis palmata), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera), Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra), White Flowering Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis), and Smooth Aster (Aster laevis). Trees and shrubs of the tall grass prairie include Box Elder (Acer negundo), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Golden Current (Ribes odoratum), Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), and Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). We will also plant rare and endangered species that are indigenous to the prairie. Other plant communities will include plants representative of the short grass prairie, montane forest, and prairie forest. We expect to take at least two years of fairly intensive weeding, watering, and general maintenance before the prairie garden's full potential can be realized. After establishment, we anticipate little or no watering or weeding. Nomenclature is from 'Flora of the Great Plains," Great Plains Floral Association, U Press of Kansas, 1986. Questions? Contact McCrory Gardens Martin.Maca@sdstate.edu |
