Kansas State University’s Prairie Star Ornamental Flower Program conducts is working to help beautify your property.

The prgoram conducts traisl to determine the varieties of flowers are best adapted to our prairie climate. Flowers that can successful grow in one part of Kansas, may not thrive in our area.

Cheryl Boyer, K-State Research and Extension nursery crops and garden center specialist, says that “around 600 cultivars are being tested this year in ground trials and in large container trials.”

“..with this program we actually have demonstration gardens across the state. So, they don’t all have 600 varities, but they have a handful, and so we can compare varieties that grow at our main trial site with those that are growing at Colby and Hays and Haysville and across the state,” said Boyer.

The plants are rated by how fast and strong they grow and the overall visual impact of the flower displays.

“Last year, we only added 36 plants out of more than 500 we tested. So, very few make it to our recommended plants lists, so you can be pretty confident about those that do will perform well across the state,” said Boyer.

The varieties on the Prairie Star List are available from retail garden centers; the list is available online at www.ksu.edu/ornamentals.