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Kentucky Kingdom Gardens

The Horticulture Department at Kentucky Kingdom puts thousands of hours into making the park look beautiful each and every year! You will encounter botanical beauty that is cared for by a very dedicated team around every corner of the park. During your next visit, be sure to keep an eye out for signs with a unique QR code accompanying each species of plant that will provide you with interesting information about each one!

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Behind the Magic of Kentucky Kingdom Gardens

Take a look behind the scenes with Jason Anderson the head of our Horticulture Department at Kentucky Kingdom. Their team put thousands of hours into making the park look beautiful each and every year.

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Abelia 'Rose Creek'

Abelia 'Rose Creek'

This deciduous shrub, located by the entrance fountain and Auntie B's Courtyard, is a good, low-maintenance, and low-growing plant.
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American Holly

American Holly

This evergreen tree (native), located by the between Season Pass Center and games building, is great for screening and attracting wildlife (especially birds).
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American Holly 'Morris Arboretum'

American Holly 'Morris Arboretum'

This evergreen tree (native), located by Spring Fling, is a beautiful specimen cultivar!
Discovery Meadow
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Arborvitae 'Fire Chief'

Arborvitae 'Fire Chief'

This evergreen shrub, located by the Family Wave Lagoon, Kentucky Flyer, and Big Surf, is an attractive, fine-textured shrub for the landscape.
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Arrowwood Viburnum

Arrowwood Viburnum

This large deciduous shrub, located by Hollyhock and Roll and Woodland Run, is a great hardy landscape plant that is attractive to birds and other pollinators.
Discovery Meadow
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Bald Cypress

Bald Cypress

This deciduous tree (native), located by the Picnic Grove and Big Surf, and inside Discovery Meadow. It is a great, hardy, and fast-growing plant.
Discovery Meadow
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Big Bluestem

Big Bluestem

This ornamental grass (native), located by the Kentucky Flyer, is a very hardy native plant with good landscape value.
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Black Eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'

Black Eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'

This perennial (native), located by the Woodland Run Hillside, is rather drought tolerant once established.
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Black Locust

Black Locust

This deciduous tree (native), located by Hollyhock and Roll, is known to be invasive through suckering and self-seeding.
Discovery Meadow
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Catmint 'Six Hills Giant'

Catmint 'Six Hills Giant'

This perennial, located in Discovery Meadow, is an easy, dependable plant.
Discovery Meadow
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Chinese Beautyberry

Chinese Beautyberry

This deciduous shrub, located in Discovery Meadow, is a great plant for adding season-long interest to the garden.
Discovery Meadow
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Chinese Elm

Chinese Elm

This deciduous tree, located by the Picnic Grove, features exfoliating bark and provides great shade.
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Clethra 'Ruby Spice'

Clethra 'Ruby Spice'

This deciduous shrub (native), located across from Kingdom Collections and Wind Chaser, is attractive to butterflies and bees.
Discovery Meadow
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Crape Myrtle 'Natchez'

Crape Myrtle 'Natchez'

This flowering tree, located by the Splash Zone, is one of the hardier cultivars in the Midwest.
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Dense Blazing Star

Dense Blazing Star

This perennial (native), located by the Wind Chaser Meadow-Garden, produces flower stalks late in the season after other perennials are finished flowering.
Discovery Meadow
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European Hornbeam

European Hornbeam

This tree, located in Auntie B's Courtyard, can get quite large with a pear-shaped canopy once it matures.
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False Sunflower

False Sunflower

This perennial (native), located by the Wind Chaser Meadow-Garden, prefers full sun and moist soil.
Discovery Meadow
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Hardy Banana

Hardy Banana

This perennial, located by the Big Surf, is a good, hardy tropical accent plant.
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Hardy Pampas Grass

Hardy Pampas Grass

This ornamental grass, located by Wind Chaser, Family Wave Lagoon, and Splash Zone, is fast-growing, hardy, and invasive.
Discovery Meadow
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Hibiscus 'Cranberry Punch'

Hibiscus 'Cranberry Punch'

This perennial, located by the Big Surf, is stunning as a specimen or accent plant and can tolerate wet soils.
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Hibiscus 'James Fleming'

Hibiscus 'James Fleming'

This perennial, located by the Hurricane Bay Beach Club, can blooms as big as your head!
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Honey Locust

Honey Locust

This deciduous tree, located by Clock Tower, can sometimes develop rather sharp thorns.
Discovery Meadow
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Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood'

Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood'

This small deciduous tree, located by the Family Wave Lagoon, has a charming yet delicate form and produces deep red leaves in summer.
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Juniper 'Blue Pacific'

Juniper 'Blue Pacific'

This evergreen shrub/groundcover, located by the Splash Zone and Bourbon Crafthouse, provides good sunny groundcover on a slope.
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Juniper 'Grey Owl'

Juniper 'Grey Owl'

This evergreen shrub, located by Up Up and Away, is a very attractive, fast growing groundcover for slopes.
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Katsura

Katsura

This deciduous tree, located between the games building and Zeppelin, is a beautiful, full low-branching tree that smells like cinnamon.
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Korean Mountain Ash

Korean Mountain Ash

This deciduous tree, located by Woodland Run, is an interesting specimen selection for the landscape.
Discovery Meadow
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Linden 'Silver Leaf'

Linden 'Silver Leaf'

This deciduous tree, located by the Food court restrooms, can have possible insect problems with Aphids, Japanese beetles, and Linden Borer.
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Little Bluestem 'The Blues'

Little Bluestem 'The Blues'

This ornamental grass (native), located by the Cabanas and Wind Chaser Meadow-Garden, is a good medium-height grass that has all-season interest.
Discovery Meadow
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London Plane Tree

London Plane Tree

This deciduous tree, located across from Scoops, is very tolerant of urban pollutants
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Magnolia 'Merrill'

Magnolia 'Merrill'

This deciduous tree, located by King Louie's Playland, is one of the first trees you will see blooming after a long winter.
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Ninebark

Ninebark

This deciduous shrub, located by the Family Wave Lagoon, is pollinator friendly and attractive but can be susceptible to disease.
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Northern Catalpa

Northern Catalpa

This deciduous tree (native), located in the Mile High Falls midway, can be great for wet areas or areas with poor soil.
Discovery Meadow
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Oakleaf Hydrangea

Oakleaf Hydrangea

This deciduous shrub, located by Woodland Run, Mile High Falls, and the Food Court, has a longer bloom-time than the standard species.
Discovery Meadow
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Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflower

This perennial (native), located in the Wind Chaser Meadow-Garden, grows Coneflowers that can be rather hardy and drought resistant.
Discovery Meadow
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Red Cedar

Red Cedar

This evergreen tree (native), located by the Giant Wheel, will grow in a wide variety of soils and is quite heat and salt tolerant.
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Red Maple

Red Maple

This deciduous tree (native), located by the Hollyhock and Roll, is very popular for its fall color.
Discovery Meadow
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Russian Sage

Russian Sage

This perennial, located by the Family Wave Lagoon, Big Surf, and Scream X-treme, is a hardy and rather trouble-free perennial.
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Skip Laurel

Skip Laurel

This evergreen shrub, located by Scream X-treme and Casa Mia, is not the most hardy and can experience some top dieback during winter.
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Smoke Tree 'Royal Purple'

Smoke Tree 'Royal Purple'

This deciduous tree, located by the bridge at Tin Lizzies, is hardy, deer-resistant and great for pollinators.
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Southern Blackhaw Viburnum

Southern Blackhaw Viburnum

This deciduous shrub (native), located by Wind Chaser, is fast-growing and easy to grow.
Discovery Meadow
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Spirea 'Ogon'

Spirea 'Ogon'

This deciduous shrub, located by Wheels for Rent and Wind Chaser, and Scoops, is easy to grow, has a bright chartreuse color, and responds well to hard pruning.
Discovery Meadow
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Sweetgum 'Slender Silhouette'

Sweetgum 'Slender Silhouette'

This deciduous tree, located by Up Up and Away and Scream X-treme, is a hardy, columnar tree that is robust with fall colors.
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Sweetshrub

Sweetshrub

This deciduous shrub (native), located by Kentucky Flyer, is a hardy plant that is relatively care-free once established.
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Switchgrass 'Northwind'

Switchgrass 'Northwind'

This ornamental grass (native), located by the Esplanade, Family Wave Lagoon, and Big Surf, is worry-free and has season-long interest once established.
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Sycamore

Sycamore

This deciduous tree (native), located in the Mile High Falls midway, is large with attractive, exfoliating bark.
Discovery Meadow
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Willow Oak

Willow Oak

This deciduous tree, located across from Mad Hatter, is a very nice oak for landscape areas.
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Winterberry Holly

Winterberry Holly

This deciduous shrub (native), located in the Wind Chaser midway, has bright red berries and add season-long interest to a garden.
Discovery Meadow
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Zelkova 'Green Vase'

Zelkova 'Green Vase'

This deciduous tree, located by the Mad Hatter, is especially useful as a street tree or in parking lots because of its upright branching.
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Kentucky Coffee Tree

Kentucky Coffee Tree

This decidious tree (native), located by Swampwater Jack's, is a beutiful shade tree with good fall color. It can have a bit of an irregular form for the first five or so years.
Discovery Meadow
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‘Green Velvet’ Boxwood

‘Green Velvet’ Boxwood

This evergreen shrub can be susceptible to exceptionally harsh winters.
Discovery Meadow
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