Kansas City’s Botanical Garden

Waterlily Wonders (August 6-18, 2024)

Powell Gardens will celebrate Waterlily Wonders (August 6-18) this summer! These stunning blooms of lotus, waterlilies, and carnivorous plants, with their vibrant colors and unique structures, will be on display at Powell Gardens during their peak season. The lotus and waterlily collections have been designated as Certified Collections of Merit by the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society. 

During Waterlily Wonders, visitors can embark on guided tours (August 9 and 16 at10 a.m.) or take a self-guided digital tour via Garden Explorer. For a serene and immersive experience, stroll through the Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden to see a mesmerizing display of aquatic plants in their natural habitat. Adventurers should look for carnivorous plants in the Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden and hike the one-mile Family Discovery Trail to see Powell Gardens’ natural lotus pond.  

Purchase Admission to Waterlily Wonders

Ways to Enjoy Waterlily Wonders

Guided Tour
August 9 and 16 | 10 a.m.
Join Horticulturist Matt Hockaday for a 20-minute guided tour of the Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden. The guided tours are offered August 9 and 16 at 10 a.m. 

Digital Tour
Take a self-guided tour of Powell Gardens’ waterlily collection via Garden Explorer. 

Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden
Visit the Marlese Lowe Gourley Island Garden to see aquatic plants nestled in the heart of Powell Gardens. Enjoy beautiful views of the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel in this space!  

Perennial Lounge
Enjoy a new display of pitcher plants in the Perennial Lounge. These plants capture and digest insects! 

PAST: Daffodil Days (March 27-April 7, 2024)

What is Daffodil Days?

Powell Gardens will celebrate Daffodil Days (March 27-April 7)! Daffodils are often considered the herald of spring’s growing season, brightening landscapes with their blooms. Daffodil Days will include in-person and digital education options. In addition to more than 100,000 daffodils emerging on the East Lawn, look for a daffodil spiral in the Heartland Harvest Garden and search for early spring blooms in the David T. Beals III Woodland and Steam Garden. Learn about all thirteen divisions of daffodils in a display near the Visitor Center.  

Purchase Daffodil Days Admission

Guided Tours
March 30, April 6-7 | 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.
Included in admission 

Learn more about daffodils on a guided tour. The free, guided walking tours are about 20 minutes long and are included with admission during Daffodil Days at Powell Gardens.   

A self-guided digital tour is available via Garden Explorer.

PAST: Desert Days (June 18-30, 2024)

Desert Days (June 18-30) brings the arid climate and its botanical treasures to Powell Gardens’ visitors! The Gardens’ cacti and succulent collections will be highlighted.

Look for creative displays, including a crevice garden, an agave display near the Visitor Center, living walls, combination containers in the Vineyard, and a succulent coral reef in the Children’s Garden. A digital tour is available via Garden Explorer.

Purchase Desert Days Admission

PAST: Wildflower Week (July 9-14, 2024)

Powell Gardens will celebrate Wildflower Week (July 9-14) this summer! Missouri is home to many flowering wildflowers that brighten our Midwest landscape. These native plants attract beneficial pollinators and are adapted to the Midwest climate. Some are even edible!   

There will be digital and guided tours available during Wildflower Week. In addition to wildflowers in the Butterfly Meadow and Wildflower Meadow, look for a native plant display in the Visitor Center. Visit the Susan Lordi Marker Native Garden to see a garden full of native plants. For an off-grid experience, enjoy native lotus blooms along the one-mile Family Discovery Trail.   

Purchase Admission to Wildflower Week

Ways to Enjoy Wildflower Week

Guided Tour
Join Susan, Director of Horticulture, or Ryan, Manager of Natural Resources, for a 20-minute guided tour of the Butterfly Meadow. The guided tours are offered by Susan on Wednesday, July 10 and Ryan on Friday, July 12 at 10 a.m.

Butterfly Meadow
The Butterfly Meadow at Powell Gardens was cultivated from specimen from Ona’s Prairie! Take a short trail through native wildflowers.

Wildflower Meadow
Enjoy native prairie grasses and flowers much like those thriving in the tallgrass prairie that once covered much of this region.

Susan Lordi Marker Native Garden
In the heat of summer, Susan Lordi Marker Native Plant Garden comes to life. Look for prairie grasses and forbes including little bluestem, coneflower, milkweed, prairie dropseed, and rudbeckia attracting pollinators and songbirds.

Family Discovery Loop
This one-mile hike meanders through wooded and aquatic ecosystems. At the halfway point, take in a pond filled with lotus blooms.

Digital Tour
Take a self-guided tour of Powell Gardens’ native wildflowers via Garden Explorer.