Description: Located on the campus of South Dakota State University, McCrory Gardens sits on the edge of the tall grass prairie in Brookings, South Dakota. Beginning with just 2 acres in 1965, McCrory Gardens has grown to include 25 acres of formal gardens and a 45-acre arboretum.  Between the two areas is our Education & Visitor Center, a facility designed to further enhance our mission of ‘Connecting people and plants through education, discovery, research, and enjoyment of the natural and built landscape.’ 

Our arboretum, located on the north side of McCrory Gardens, was designated the South Dakota State Arboretum in 1988 and has a long history of ornamentals research, beginning with the work of some of our earliest researchers, Sam McCrory and N.E. Hansen. Hansen alone was responsible for over 50 ornamental plant introductions to the early Green Industry in this country. More recently, work by Norm Evers and others resulted in the introduction of many new plants including Aesculus x ‘Homestead’, Forsythia x ‘Meadowlark’, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Nugget’, Pinus mugo ‘Tannenbaum’ and 'Thuja occidentalis ‘Rushmore’.

We have been a part of the NC7 Ornamental Plant Evaluation Project for over 40 years and have evaluated dozens of different plants during that time. In addition, we routinely trial new selections of trees and shrubs to test their adaptability to our growing conditions.

In North America, there are approximately 650 native tree species north of Mexico. Over 100 additional species have been introduced and have naturalized. Of this number, only a handful are native to or have become naturalized to the northern Great Plains. In the Arboretum, we are trying to expand the number and quality of species that can be successfully grown in the northern Great Plains. There are numerous species and cultivars that have not been evaluated; many are native to harsh environs similar to South Dakota. Species native to Northern Asia have particular value. The Arboretum serves as a long-term evaluation site for these selected species.

Trial site manager:  Chris Schlenker, Horticulture & Grounds Manager

Trial site contact:  Chrisotpher.Schlenker@sdstate.edu

Location of A.R.T.S.® site within property:  Located northwest of the Education & Visitor Center in the South Dakota State Arboretum at McCrory Gardens in Brookings, SD.

Geographic region for A.R.T.S.® trial data purposes:  Dfb - Humid Continental warm summer Climate (see CLIMATE MAP)

 

Address:

631 22nd Ave. Brookings, SD 57006

 

Hours of Operation:

South Dakota State Arboretum – Accessible 365 days a year - 6:00am – 11:00pm

Formal Gardens -

Summer Hours: May 1 – Sept. 30; Sunday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Last Admission 5:30 p.m.

Shoulder Season Hours: April and Oct.; Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Last Admission 4:30 p.m.

Fall/Winter Hours: Nov. 1 – March 31; Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Last Admission 4:30 p.m.

Holiday Hours: Open: Independence Day and Labor Day 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Native American Day 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, and Memorial Day.

Admission:

South Dakota State Arboretum – Free Formal Gardens -Members: Free Adults: $6 Senior ages 65 & over: $4 Youth ages 6–17: $4 SDSU Employees: $4 w/SDSU ID Military personnel: $4 w/valid ID Children ages 5 & under: Free SDSU Students: Free w/valid SDSU ID

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