The Kansas Landscape Arboretum’s tree collections provide visitors the opportunity to learn about various native and exotic tree species. Below you will find information on some of our tree collections. See the map for the location of each collection.
Black Walnut
The black walnut collection displays some different varieties of this North American native species. Black walnut, Juglans nigra, is a species in the walnut family, Juglandaceae. The trees have high-relief, fissured bark that forms a diamond pattern, and leaves are odd-pinnately compound. Large green and black walnut husks fall to the ground in autumn.
Black walnut trees have numerous uses. The trees can be tapped for syrup-making, and the timber is valued for woodworking. Husks can be used to make a wood stain, while the walnuts themselves possess a distinct flavor from the common store-bought variety.
Black walnut roots excrete juglone, a chemical that is toxic to some plant species including azaleas, nightshades, and blueberries. The chemical is excreted into the immediate surrounding soil and reduces the tree’s competition for resources.
Oak
The oak tree collection features a variety of species, each with unique leaf and acorn shapes. Adjacent parking and picnic areas make the oak tree collection an accessible spot to stop in the arboretum!
Oak species are in the genus Quercus within the Beech family, Fagaceae. Oaks are categorized as white oaks or red oaks. White oaks have acorns that mature in one growing season, while red oaks have acorns that mature in two growing seasons.
These long-lived tree species are notable for providing habitat and forage to wildlife. Oak trees host numerous species of insects and birds, and acorns provide important food sources for mammals.
Redbud
The redbud collection is along the arboretum’s southern road. Redbuds provide some of the first spring blooms in April, and beautiful heart-shaped foliage later in the season. The redbud, Cercis canadensis, is a deciduous, medium-sized tree native to eastern North America including Kansas. As a member of the legume family, Fabaceae, its pink flowers resemble sweet pea flowers bursting along the tree’s delicate branches. These flowers then transform into flat brown seed pods as the plant’s leaves emerge.
Sycamore
Visitors to the sycamore collection can see the tree’s characteristic, mottled bark. The sycamore’s gray, outer bark peels away as the tree matures revealing a white-gray wood beneath. These white branches make the tree easy to identify from afar.
The American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis, is native to Kansas. Sycamores are often found near waterbodies in bottomlands and riparian areas and can grow to be quite large in these conditions. The tree has large, maple-like leaves and forms spherical seed balls in autumn.
Green Ash
The green ash collection at the Kansas Landscape Arboretum highlights a native species that is currently under threat. Green Ash, Fraxinus pensylvanica, is one of the ash trees native to the United States. (Other native species include blue ash, Fraxinus quadrangulata, and white ash, Fraxinus americana.) American ash trees are afflicted by a variety of pests and diseases, but none is of greater concern than the invasive Emerald Ash Borer.
Native to Asia, the Emerald Ash Borer feeds beneath the bark and can kill an ash tree within five years. The pest is difficult and expensive to eradicate. Emerald Ash Borers are spreading across the United States and threatening American ash populations. The green ash collection at the Kansas Landscape Arboretum stands as a testament to this beautiful species.
The leaves of the green ash lightly filter sunlight producing a lovely, dappled shade. In autumn, the canopy turns yellow and produces clusters of winged seedpods. Leaves are odd and pinnately compound with 5 to 9 leaflets. Visitors to the arboretum get to witness this critically endangered American tree species. If you are interested in supporting the green ash collection at the Kansas Landscape Arboretum, please consider donating.
Flowering Crabapple
The flowering crabapple collection played a significant role in the Kansas Landscape Arboretum’s history. Flowering crabapples are small, ornamental trees that have been bred into endless varieties. They produce show-stopping flowers in spring and bright fruit in autumn. The flowering crabapple, Malus spp., is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae.
These deciduous trees have oval-shaped, serrated leaves. Characteristic to the rose family, the flowers have five petals. Crabapple fruit is small, hard, and high in pectin (a thickening agent used in jelly-making). Leaves, fruit, and flower color broadly range depending on the cultivated variety. It is widely-used for providing seasonal interest in the garden. Numerous flowering crabapple varieties can be seen at the Kansas Landscape Arboretum, and visitors can observe the flowering crabapples transform each season.
Memorial Tree Groves
Memorial trees are found throughout the Kansas Landscape Arboretum, but the main two groves are adjacent to the flowering crabapple grove and near the Utah Road entrance. These trees commemorate loved ones and contribute to the beauty of the arboretum grounds. At the foot of each memorial tree, plaques indicate the tree species and the commemorated individual.
If you are interested in purchasing a memorial tree, please see the donation page for more information.