Over 50,000 plants to be hand-planted into new American Prairie conservation landscape at Wakehurst

A breath-taking transformation has begun to take shape at Wakehurst where six acres of magnificent, sweeping grassland inspired by the prairies of North America are being created at the heart of Kew’s wild botanic garden. This new and ambitious landscape – the first of its kind in the UK – will bring the essence of the American prairie to Wakehurst. Visitors can watch a metamorphosis take place over the next two years as 105 different species are sown across the landscape, evolving into swathes of colour and texture, and creating a moment to pause and reflect on the natural beauty of this meadow landscape.

Ed Ikin, Head of Horticulture at Wakehurst, said: “The American Prairie is the most ambitious horticultural project undertaken at Wakehurst in the last decade. Wakehurst has long been home to dramatic woodlands from around the world – and we can now add the ornamental expression of American prairie plants to our landscape. The heart of this project lies in conservation, with only 1% of the diverse prairie ecosystem remaining worldwide. Through this marriage of horticulture and conservation we have a unique opportunity to share our knowledge to boost understanding of this threatened ecosystem and share in its beauty.”

Bringing the prairie to life

Ecology-based landscape designer and leading expert in prairie restoration, Larry Weaner joins Wakehurst horticulturalists this September for the next major step in the development of the American Prairie. With the base layer of hand-sown seeds successfully established over the past year, a team of 20 horticulturalists will introduce the first live plant layer to the six-acre site. Formed of over 50,000 plug plants, the live layer, which has been carefully nurtured by the Wakehurst nursery team in glasshouses, will be individually hand planted across a week. With Weaner’s guidance, the team will develop a carefully considered design to create the natural complexity of a prairie. Though the plants won’t yet be mature, the horticulturalists must consider how towering grasses and bursts of colourful flowers will develop alongside their bushier and shade-loving counterparts. It’s this dense and balanced intermingling of species that is so critical to a prairie’s signature textured composition.

Larry Weaner, Principal and Founder of Larry Weaner Landscape Associates said: “I’m delighted to have joined the team at Wakehurst to develop our very first UK American prairie landscape. This is a huge milestone for us – over the past three years, we’ve combined our expertise across US prairie restoration and UK meadow management to develop this landmark project, and now we can start to see the results of these important conservation efforts. With the first live plant layer going to ground, visitors will begin to witness the unique aesthetic of a prairie with its beautiful balance of species such as blazing star, coneflower, little bluestem and bergamot.”

The making of a prairie

The journey began in 2019 when a specialist team of horticulturists and scientists from Wakehurst and Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank travelled to prairies across the United States to collect viable seeds of 15 wild species for the new prairie landscape. These seeds were shipped back to the Millennium Seed Bank and raised by the Wakehurst nursery team who have since been preparing them for planting in summer 2020. In the future, the American Prairie will be an incredible resource for many of RBG Kew’s research projects. From studying pollinators to soil structure and climate change, scientists can use this unique living laboratory to share essential knowledge on this threatened habitat, globally.

New horticultural approaches are being applied to create the American Prairie, including a complex plan of novel plant community establishment. This requires sowing and planting in layers while managing growth by imitating stresses and disturbances that would occur in the wild, such as bison grazing and fire. Wakehurst’s rare breed cattle will take on the grazing role of the bison. This means the prairie will be ecologically functional and plant communities will grow and interact as they would in any wild prairie. This slow approach to establishment ensures the long-term stability of the Prairie, ensuring it will thrive for decades. Prairie grasses play a vital role in capturing and storing carbon. This is thanks to their long roots that extend deep underground. These roots in species-rich grasslands structure and nourish the soil, prevent erosion, and can store more carbon than forests.

A one-of-a-kind visitor attraction

By 2022, visitors can expect to see little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium), eye-catching pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) and the wildflower rough blazing star (Liatris aspera) among others. These non-woody plants will grow and change throughout the seasons, offering a variety of displays depending on the time of year. This dynamic grassland will have vibrant floral blooms that come and go, while revealing sculptural seed heads and attractive dry grasses in the winter months. Visitors will be transported to the Atlantic coastal plans, to the central tallgrass prairies and the grasslands of the Pacific Northwest.

The location of the American Prairie, at the heart of Wakehurst and accessible to everyone, is the perfect accompaniment to the UK meadows and North American woodland collection surrounds. Leading down from the Elizabethan Mansion towards the Pinetum, the landscape will offer fully accessible pathways and seating areas to enjoy majestic views. Following the Great Storm of 1987, which caused a staggering 20,000 trees to be felled at Wakehurst, shrubs and trees were hastily planted in this area in a spirit of quick repair. Many of these matured simultaneously and ended up blocking cherished views, overcrowding important and rare species. The prairie will bring new life, colour, and important conservation value to the area. From the Mansion, visitors will be able to see across the scenic valley, and down to the picture-perfect Water Gardens and beyond the prairie to Coronation Meadow.

Ends

For more information about the project please visit: kew.org/wakehurst/whats-at-wakehurst/american-prairie

For more information and images please contact Frances Teehan, Strategic Communications Manager on f.teehan@kew.org and pr@kew.org