Great Plains Botanic Garden hosts annual open house while planning expansion to protect a threatened prairie ecosystem

HERMOSA, S.D. (KOTA) - The Great Plains Botanic Garden in Hermosa is inviting the public to get an up-close look at the short grass prairie ecosystem during its annual open house, on Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The garden is open by appointment only and during the annual open house.

Over 300 acres of prairie were donated for preservation. Visitors can explore their penstemon display, cactus garden, and native grass plantings, plus take a walk along the garden’s “Trail of Two Hills.” Its visitor center is a log cabin, over 150 years old, featuring a small bookstore and gift shop.

Its dedicated to Claude Barr, the group’s founding father, who they credit as the first expert on the short grass prairie. As the Great Plains Native Plant Society looks to expand, they hope to eventually open on a full-time seasonal basis.

You can help do your part to protect this threatened ecosystem by choosing native plants, like buffalo grass, for your own yard.

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