Tour the Stous Promenade
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ach year thousands of visitors pass through the Stous Promenade on the west side of the visitor center at the Overland Park Arboretum. The Stous Promenade was a wonderful gift from John and Irma Stous and is today one of the finest parts of the arboretum. We invite you to come see these beautiful trees of which a few are described below. More then 80 trees of 46 species or varieties make up the Stous Promenade. Markers in front of the trees give the common name, the scientific name, country of origin. Students, homeowners and future homeowners frequently study the trees in Stous Promenade to help with their selection of trees to be planted in their yards. The Overland Park Arboretum is located on 179th Street, about 1/2 mile west of Highway 69 in south Overland Park. There are three very interesting Korean Mountain Ash growing on the east end of Stous Promenade. Not a member of the ash family but the rose family. Slow to medium growth rate to 40’ tall and 25’ wide. Does not grow well south of Wichita or Tulsa as it does not like hot, humid weather. Four inch wide clumps of creamy white flowers in spring followed by gorgeous pinkish red to red berries in clumps. The history of our stunning Pacific Sunset Maple goes back to China where one of its parents, the Shantung Maple came from Europe where the other parent, Norway Maple came from. This is a hybrid of Shangtung Maple (Acer truncatum) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides). Four of these trees are growing in Stous Promenade. Yellow spring flowers are very noticeable. The trees are heat and drought tolerant with good green leaves all summer and brilliant reddish-orange fall foliage. Expect 30+’ in height and at least 25’ spread at maturity. Prefers full sun.
Photos by Ken O’Dell.
review trees found thriving at the Overland Park Arboretum
Seeds, Sweetbay Magnolia
Japanese Pagoda tree in bloom in July
Korean Mountain Ash leaves, green fruit, and ripened fruit The great Kentucky Coffee Tree, Gymnocladus dioicus, is native in Kansas and Missouri as well as most of the Eastern US. Greenish white flowers appear in May and June. The leaves of the Coffee tree are the largest of all of the woodland tree leaves frequently growing to 3’ in length and 2’ wide with dozens of smaller leaflets making up this large area we call a leaf. Coffee tree is very tolerance to pollution and will grow in most soils. Full sun is best but it will grow in dappled shade with less foliage. Another gorgeous tree in Stous Promenade is the Japanese Pagoda
KEN O’DELL Expert Plantsman 28
June 2021 | kcgmag.com
tree. A medium to large tree to 60’ tall and 40’ wide with attractive green foliage all summer. Each leaf is made up of 9 or more smaller leaflets. The leaves stay clean and green all summer. You will be rewarded with large 12” clusters of creamy white to very light yellowish white flowers in July and these flowers will turn into short neckless shaped seed pods. Strange that the Japanese Pagoda is not from Japan but from China and Korea but the Europeans first saw it in Japan hence the common name. In her book The World of Magnolias, Dorothy Callaway describes
Above, Lacebark Elm ‘Glory’ in June and a closeup of its signature bark below.
Magnolia acuminata as growing to 100’ tall. Commonly called Cucumber Tree or Cucumber Magnolia. It gets this name from the odd shape of the seed pod. We have a nice ten foot tall youngster of a Cucumber
Ken O’Dell is the Kansas City Regional Leader of the Kansas Native Plant Society, a lifetime member of the Friends of the Arboretum, and long-time volunteer at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden. You may reach him via email at Ken@springvalleynursery.com.
