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The Alcove Garden provides a small and intimate space located in the heart of McCrory Gardens. The garden features the color themed White Garden.

All-America Display Garden I is a part of the original 2-acre formal gardens founded in 1966. The space features two color themed gardens, the Yellow Garden and the Blue Garden, in addition to several annual beds around the perimeter. All-America Display winners can be found throughout the garden on display.

All-America Display Garden II is a part of the original 2-acre formal gardens founded in 1966. The space features numerous annual beds filled with color. Display beds such as the Horseshoe Bed and Logo Bed call the garden their home.

The Trial Gardens display plants competing for the coveted title of ‘All American Selection’ as well as those being tested in our climate zone for possible future release.

Tucked under the shelter of the stately Scotch Pines (Pinus sylvestris) to the west of All America Display Garden I, the Rhododendron Garden displays several varieties of Rhododendrons and Azaleas that were developed to survive our climate conditions.

The Blue Garden, located on the north side of All-America Display Garden I, features a monochromatic display of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees with blue flowers or foliage.

The Butterfly Garden features plants with butterflies in mind. A large patch of Purple Coneflowers (echinacea purpurea) create a sea of purple in mid summer.

A quaint garden space, the Cottage Garden is a popular photo stop. The cottage garden is a distinct style of garden that uses an informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants. English in origin, the cottage garden depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure. The building for the space was once a gas station located in Lake Preston.

Over 100 varieties of daylilies peak in mid to late summer in the Daylily Collection which is nested between The Great Lawn and the Floral Display Garden.

This space features several SDSU introductions, such as the Homestead Buckeye (Aesculus x homestead) and Rushmore Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rushmore’), which can both be found on the east edge of the Garden.

This garden area includes annual zonal geraniums, perennial hardy geraniums, and scented geraniums (species originating from both the Pelargonium and Geranium genera). It also features a charming bird house in the center.

Enjoy the fragrance of several varieties of herbs planted around the boxwood hedge, which is pruned with a “French Parterre” style. This style is similar to a “Knot Garden” but without the woven effect. French Parterre gardens are formal gardens constructed on a level surface consisting of planting beds edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Thyme, basil, oregano and chives are just a few of the herbs found here. There is seating within the trellis on the north edge to relax and enjoy the view.

The Heuchera Garden displays many different varieties of Heuchera, Tiarella and Heucherella. These plants are most noted for their showy foliage and airy flowers.

Underneath a canopy of Kentucky Coffeetrees (Gymnocladus dioicus) and Scotch Pines (Pinus sylvestris), masses of many Hosta (Hosta sp.) varieties line the pathway featuring different foliage and flower colors, shapes and textures.

Our Hummingbird Garden features a trellis with annuals, perennials and vines with long tubular flowers that hummingbirds were designed to enjoy!

The Iris Garden boasts an abundant array of Irises (Iris sp.) that brighten the spring palette in McCrory Gardens and enchant visitors with their showy flowers as we begin the new growing season.

Lilacs are a traditional favorite, prized for their showy aromatic flowers that appear in spring in hues of white, pink and purple.

Our collection of various lilies (Lilium sp.) delights the eye where the large, elegant blooms serve as a backdrop to the northernmost flower bed of the President’s Garden, as well frame a sitting bench on the southern side of the Woodland Garden. Its ever-evolving palette includes a colorful array of Oriental Lilies, Asiatic Lilies, Trumpet and Aurelian Lilies.

Bur Oaks (Quercus macrocarpa) stand tall behind a monument dedicated to George S. Mickelson, 28th governor of South ��ֱ����. Black Hills Spruce (Picea glauca var. densata) trees line a pathway leading toward the monument to create a grand presentation of the serene space. Benches sit under the branches of the Bur Oak trees where one can reflect.

Our Mum Garden presents many plants from the genus Chrysanthemum, which come into their full splendor in Autumn. It features many Minnesota Hardy Selections.

This garden showcases the work of Niels Ebbesen Hansen (1866-1950), a Danish-American horticulturist and botanist who was a pioneer in plant breeding. In 1895, Hansen came to South ��ֱ���� and became the first head of the Horticultural Department of South ��ֱ���� State College. He searched for new grasses, fruits and other plants throughout Europe and Asia and brought them back to America to raise or crossbreed with American varieties to produce stronger plants. Many of his introductions are located in this garden space.

Here you will find several species of ornamental grasses that grow in our climate. They share their feathery texture and soft rustling sound with the surrounding gardens.

You will find this large display of peonies on the east edge of The Great Lawn, where their radiant, massive flowers dazzle visitors in the spring.

This beloved place of beauty features herbaceous perennials and shrub roses suited for our climate that provide multi-seasonal appeal. The soothing sounds of water trickling down the tiered fountain in the center of the garden accompany you as you explore the many raised beds. You will be met with a new and distinct experience every time you visit the garden, as there is always something different putting on its show within the abundant assortment of plants found here.

The Pharmaceutical Garden is a display of plants which yield therapeutic compounds of proven value in current medicinal practice and are in world-wide use today.

Created to display the various natural habitats of South ��ֱ����, it is designed to include the tallgrass prairie, the shortgrass prairie, low wetlands, arid bluffs and the Black Hills. The Centennial Prairie Garden hosts an assortment of native plants all the way from the Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) above your head to the Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides) beneath your feet.

The Prairie Medicinal Garden features native plants to the area that were used by Native Americans as well as early settlers. Informative panels describe the plants in detail as well as their many uses.

The most popular area for weddings, the President’s Garden is a large green space surrounded by annual beds, perennials and views into neighboring gardens. Its perimeter includes gardens such as the Red Garden, the Lily Collection and the Rock Garden.

One of our color-themed gardens, the Red Garden is found on the northeast edge of the President’s Garden and includes a vibrant annual color display of various shades of red through foliage and flowers alike.

Constructed in 1988, the Rock Garden contains more than 1,000 yards of soil, over 100 tons of quartzite rock and around 40 yards of scree, which is a special soil mix resembling soil found in alpine environments. Planting of the Rock Garden began in 1991, using herbaceous alpine plants, shrubs and trees; many which are native to the Rocky Mountains and the canyon areas of the Black Hills.

The Rosenfield Contemplative Garden provides a tranquil resting spot with its peaceful water fountain flowing in the center of a brick seating wall, and an artful arrangement of trees, shrubs and perennials enclosing the area.

The Rotary Garden is a raised bed planted to resemble the Rotary Club symbol. The raised planting bed is surrounded with Poplar trees and benches, and during the summer months containers filled with colorful mixtures of annuals are placed around the perimeter.

Popular for children and adults alike, the Sensory Garden is a unique space featuring plants that appeal to the 5 senses. Raised beds put the plant material easily within reach. Visually the foliage and flowers stand out across the garden. The smell of Thyme and other herbs waft through the air. The sound of Sea Oats and Baptisia pods rustle in the wind while the Balloon Flowers pop open to reveal their beauty. The velvety softness of Lamb’s Ear and the quick reaction of the Sensitive Plant appeal to one’s sense of touch. Strawberries and onions offer their flavor to the sense of taste.

This formal planting of Shrub Roses display many hardy varieties of roses in a setting that allows one to walk up and “smell the roses”. Several varieties are repeat bloomers or put on a reliable show all summer long.

The Terrace Gardens feature thousands of bulbs and perennials throughout the space. Two large event lawns located in the garden provide space for a variety of functions. Teak furniture and numerous seat walls provide ample seating opportunities for events while overhead pergolas provide space for buffets and bars or simply a place to relax and enjoy the view. The Great Perennial Bed is located in the heart of the space and features a large water feature. Warm colors, natural materials, and a decorative security fence provide a serene landscape to welcome visitors or host private functions.

The Children's Maze in McCrory Gardens is designed in the traditional hedge manner and styled somewhat after the knee high mazes popular during the Renaissance. It was planted in 1990 and contains 1,140 feet of hedges maintained at a height of three to four feet.

The Great Lawn is a large green space featuring a Peony Collection on the east end and many annual beds around the perimeter. You will find a collection of hydrangeas in the northwest corner as a backdrop to a colorful annual bed, and Linden (Tilia) trees along the west edge sheltering a long stretch of shade annuals.

Connecting the Perennial Garden to The Great Lawn, the Vine Arbor offers an intimate escape where one can be encompassed in nature with seating hidden within the trellises. Vines such as Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) climb over the arbor and boast their bright red blooms.

The Waterfall Garden, located on the west edge of the Rock Garden, provides a soothing connection between the rugged Rock Garden and formal Shrub Rose Garden and All-America Trial Gardens.

Found tucked within the Alcove Garden, this Garden illuminates many annuals and perennials with white foliage or flowers.

The Woodland Garden is a serene green space deep within the Gardens featuring an annual and perennial shade bed to the north fronting beautiful views into the Perennial Garden as well as perennials to its east edge and access to the Lily Collection and President’s Garden to the south.

Found on the eastern perimeter of the All-America Display Garden I, the Yellow Garden is one of our color-themed gardens that includes flora in shades of yellow, from Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) to Black-eyed Susans​ (Rudbeckia sp.) and Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis).