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Natural Landscape Areas
The horticultural planting of trees and shrubs for scientific and educational purposes woven in with an intentional natural landscape makes the Brenton Arboretum unique among arboreta and public gardens.
After choosing this 150-year-old farm as the natural place for the Arboretum, Brenton family decided to include conservation practices wherever possible. More than half the Arboretum is planted in native tall and short grass prairie. To improve our water quality,two special wetlands and a pond have been built. To invite wildlife into the Arboretum, stream banks and ravines are left in their natural state.
These natural landscape areas are
a vital part of the Brenton Arboretum. They conserve our most valuable natural resources; water, soil and wildlife.To bring the land back to its pre-agricultural condition, short and tall prairie grasses and flowering plants have been planted throughout
the Arboretum.Buffalo grass and blue grama grasses have been established in low-maintenance short grassland areas. Big and little bluestem, Indian grass, switch grass and side-oats grama grasses form much of the taller grasslands.
Annual and perennial flowering plants add tremendous diversity to the tall grass prairie and provides habitat to a wide variety of birds, butterflies and small mammals.
To keep track of the butterflies, wildflowers and dragonflies you find during the year, use one of these checklists:
Watershed Features
A favorite of children, a magnet for birds,an ecosystem brimming with life, Lake Homestead and Overlook Pond are two jewels that complete the picture of The Brenton Arboretum.Homestead Lake was built in 2001. After its construction, Lake Homestead was planted with plants that love growing in water: water lilies, arrowhead, bulrush
and others. Special consideration was also given to plants that love to grow beside the water: like cardinal flowers, hibiscus, joe-pye weed and bottle gentian to name a few.Overlook Pond was built over 40 years ago to prevent soil erosion. This typical Iowa farm pond is teaming with fish, frogs and naturally occurring pondweed. Bulrush and snapweed grow plentifully on the bank.
Wetlands
There are two special wetlands at the Arboretum. One wetland is an integral part of Lake Homestead. Fed by 2 small streams, this little wetland is alive with mayfly, crawfish, water pennies and backswimmers; the smallest members of a healthy wetland ecosystem.The second wetland can be found north of the Leaf Walking Trail. It was designed to imitate a “pothole” or a prairie wet spot. Over 100 years ago, large potholes once dotted Iowa’s native prairie areas. While this little pothole is dry part of the year, it retains a high water table that provides a niche habitat to a number of special plants.
Open 9:00 AM until Sunset
Closed Mondays, open holidays
Phone: (515)-992-4211
Email: info@thebrentonarboretum.org
