Oklahoma Centennial Prairie

This 20-acre field behind the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History contains drought-resistant native grasses like those that once covered most of the state. This prairie landscape is recognized by the Oklahoma Natural Areas Registry Program as one of the few places that Penstemon oklahomensis, a vulnerable species of flowering plant in the plantain family, can be found in the wild. This plant is endemic to Oklahoma and is found only in an area of about 500 square miles, and blooms in late April through June.

The site, designated in 2007 for Oklahoma’s centennial year, is maintained and protected by the museum as a natural preserve and educational resource.