"The mission of the Kansas Native Plant Society is to encourage awareness and appreciation of the native plants of Kansas in their habitats and in our landscapes by promoting education, stewardship, and scientific knowledge."
Since this society is statewide it has been a challenge to hold events and increase membership in different parts of the state. In response to this the society has begun 21 statewide membership regions. Each chapter's location and contact information for each region is listed on their website along with several regional facebook pages.
The Kansas Native Plant Society Newsletter is a quarterly publication and is available online for members and anyone else who is interested in the native plants of Kansas.
As it follows the sun's path through the sky the Sunflower, Helianthus annuus, reflects the native heritage of Kansas. This majestic plant can grow to more than 15 feet in height with a flower of up to two feet in diameter. The sunflower was chosen as the official state flower in 1903 for many reasons, one being its historic connection to the frontier days of Kansas. It’s also a great plant for beginning gardeners!
Winter twigs : the identification of Kansas woody plants by their twigs by 
Wildflowers and Grasses of Kansas by 
The Kansas Academy of Science was founded in 1868, the second oldest state institute in the country. The first being the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences founded in 1799. From the start James H. Carruth, considered by some to be the first Kansas botanist, collected both geological and biological specimens and published his findings in the Transactions of the academy. The image above was taken in 1905.
