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Kansas City, Mo. – Native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs bring unique beauty and structure to landscaping gardens. But natives have their quirks and needs. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and a non-profit group called Deep Roots KC are partnering to help people learn about using natives in landscaping. Native plants benefit wildlife and pollinators like butterflies far more than non-natives. They are also a tie to the region’s original natural history.
One ongoing program is the virtual Native Plants at Noon. MDC and Deep Roots staff along with guest speakers will discuss native plants and give virtual tours of the Gorman Discovery Center’s garden and tours at other MDC conservation areas.
Next up for Native Plants at Noon: On the Road is a virtual tour from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, at MDC’s Maple Woods Natural Area in Gladstone. The guest speaker will be Chuck Conner, MDC community forester. Maple Woods is recognized as a significant natural area by the National Park Service and is a haven in a suburban setting for migrating songbirds and other wildlife. It is named for the sugar maples scattered throughout the oak and hickory forest in hilly terrain. Spring wildflowers and forest management will be highlighted.
Native Plants at Noon is for adults. To register, visit the Deep Roots KC site at www.DeepRoots.org/native-plants-at-noon.
Deep Roots KC also maintains a native plant demonstration garden in a portion of Discovery Center’s outdoor gardens. A series of Work and Learn Gardening Days will be ongoing. The demonstration garden is designed to show how native plants can be used in home landscaping. These sessions combine maintenance work such as weeding or trimming in the demonstration garden along with discussions about native plants. Cydney Ross, Deep Roots outdoor education manager, will lead a tour of the Discovery Center garden at session’s end. This program is for adults. Registration is required at http://www.DeepRoots.org/get-involved. For more information, contact Ross at cydney@deeprootskc.org.
For information about these and other upcoming native plant events in the Kansas City area, visit MDC’s events page for the region at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Bj. To learn about the Gorman Discovery Center, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/discoverycenter.
