The Gardens at Powell Gardens
As Kansas City’s Botanical Garden, Powell Gardens plays a vital role in the community as a space for release, rejuvenation, and the celebration of the fleeting nature of nature itself. Visitors enjoy themed display gardens, a three-mile nature trail, seasonal festivals, rotating exhibitions, exceptional architecture, and more. Established in 1988, Powell Gardens is a non-profit, public garden, maintaining 970 acres of lush, rolling hills and windswept meadows, with more than 175 acres and a large collection of plants open to the public for education, exploration, and recreation. Many of the plants in the Gardens are regionally native, and all highlight the changing seasons and Midwest spirit of place.
Conservation
In alignment with the mission of Powell Gardens, our conservation efforts pursue the protection of the Midwest Spirit of Place as experienced within our ecological communities.
Powell Gardens’ stewardship actions are a dynamic application of restoration strategies, including engaging valuable partners, as we work to restore the living landscape which supports our botanical gardens. Actions to preserve and uphold the integrity of our ecological communities include reintroducing prescribed fire across the landscape, balancing competition from invasive species, and improving biodiversity within our habitat reconstructions through thoughtful species additions.
Powell Gardens is passionate about connecting people to the landscape of our region throughout the seasons through educational courses, citizen science projects, and conservation volunteer opportunities. We encourage our visitors to observe our restoration progress throughout the Powell Gardens landscape.
Ona’s Prairie
Ona’s Prairie, located in Southwest Pettis County, MO, is a 40-acre tallgrass prairie supporting a diversity of plant and animal species.
This natural community was given to Powell Gardens for education and research in late 2019 due to a bequest from Ona Gieschen. Today, our staff continues to care for this ecological treasure.