Whitmire Wildflower Garden
Shaw Nature Reserve, a division of Missouri Botanical Garden
Gray Summit, MO
Photos: Scott Woodbury
Size: 3 acres
Year established: 1993
Year inducted: 2021
Category: Professionally managed
Entrance Fee: Yes
Please see website for admission, hours, and rules.
Description: The Whitmire Wildflower Garden is 5 acres in size, plus 30 acres of reconstructed prairie and woodland surrounding the central garden. It features over 750 species of Missouri native plant species, displayed in various styles from conventional to naturalistic. Here, homeowners will discover small garden spaces they can relate to, and large land owners will see acres of reconstructed prairie and restored woodland. The core of the garden has numerous perennial, water and woodland gardens, a patio garden, a groundcover garden, rock garden, prairie garden, water garden, rooftop garden, rain garden and a developing wild edible garden. The purpose of the garden is to inspire home gardeners with the beauty of native plants. We hope that by visiting this garden, which was created only with Missouri native plants, visitors will be inspired by the beauty to go home and create a native garden there too.
What Makes this Garden Excellent:
The sheer size and botanical diversity of this garden make it a wonder to behold. Well worth a visit in any season, this garden is meticulously managed and has plants blooming throughout the year to support a large collection of pollinators and wildlife. The garden is a teaching tool for home and land owners who are interested in learning more about gardening with native plants. Native Plant School is a program of classes held year-round in the garden. Visit www.shawnature.org for a class listing.
Examples of Wildlife Spotted Here:
Monarch Butterfly
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Sphinx Moth
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Bluebird
Squirrel
Chipmunk
Ten Great Native Plants to See Here:
Asclepia tuberosa (butterfly weed)
Baptisia sphaerocarpa (yellow wild indigo)
Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)
Eryngium yuccifolium (rattlesnake master)
Oenothera macrocarpa (Missouri primrose)
Phlox paniculata (garden phlox)
Silene regia (royal catchfly)
Spigelia marilandica (Indian pink)
Stylophorum diphyllum (celadine poppy )
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster)
Signage: The garden has many plants labeled. Large signboards of ecosystem information are also scattered throughout.
Accessibility: Most sections of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden are handicapped accessible.
Location:
307 Pinetum Loop Rd, Gray Summit, MO 63039
Coordinates:
38°28’32.9″N 90°49’31.1″W
38.4758, -90.8253
For More Information:
Contact person: Jen Sieradzki [Jennifer.Sieradzki@mobot.org]
More information about the garden and a map of the entire reserve can be acquired by visiting the Nature Reserve’s Visitor Center.