Flowering trees are planted throughout the arboretum and provide a spectacular show throughout the month of May. Most offer colorful fruits, autumn foliage color and bark interest in other seasons. Ornamental crabapples (Malus) and magnolias are displayed as major collections. Others include serviceberries (Amelanchier), redbuds (Cercis), dogwoods (Cornus) hawthorn (Crataegus), silverbells (Halesia), cherry (Prunus), callery pear (Pyrus) and the tree lilacs (Syringa).

The Butterfly Garden is located near the tall grass prairie, the former site of the prairie forbs garden. The objective is to incorporate plants that attract butterflies commonly found in the Midwest, such as the Monarch. Butterflies need plants that provide food for the caterpillars as well as plants that provide nectar for the mature butterflies. Some of the plants to be included in the garden are the butterfly bush, milk weed, hollyhock, phlox, coneflowers, zinnias and asters to name a few

Situated in front of the Bickelhaupt Visitors Center, the sloping Country Flower Garden is an informal mixed garden designed to be viewed and used through all four seasons of the year. Spring bulbs begin the flower season early, followed by blooming annuals and perennials from summer to fall against a brick and split rail fence backdrop. Interest is extended through the winter season with the stuctural evergreens (including an evergreen "waterfall"), deciduous shrubs and ornamental grasses. The Country Garden features both traditional garden favorites such as Gerbera Daisies, Dahlias, and Black-eyed Susans, as well as new and unusual varieties including the Candy Corn Vine, Summer's Kiss Gaillardia, and the new Orange Coneflowers, with a special emphasis on flowers and foliages for fresh and dried floral arrangements.

In 1971 - 1975 the Bickelhaupts started a group of Narcissus (daffodils) for early and long lasting color. Mt. Hood, King Alfred, Music Hall, Rosy Pink and Rosy Sunrise were the first plantings and were purchased from Kimberly Barn Nursery and Burpee Seed, locally For five years, 200 daffodils were planted, first by hand with a trowel and then a bulb planter. The memory Frances has is that it really was better with the trowel! They were easy to start and demanded very little maintenance and the placement was under the Malus (crabapple collection). Annually, on Earth Day there is a contest to guess the number of blooms: usually there are about 16,000 flowers. The hillside is vivid with the yellow and white colors and the deep golds add even more interest. The fact that we do not mow about the flowers - and even let them naturalize and take energy in for next season - is a different approach for some visitors. Usually right after the Fourth of July the whole area is mowed and the grass returns to the site. The plants spread, so occasionally we transplant them from the rogue ones who move under the Malus back into the open collections. Recently we have been offered newer varieties (split cup and also Double cup) daffodils, which will be featured in the Spring of 2010 in the Country Garden.

The Stout Silver Medal is the highest award given by the American Hemerocallis Society (AHS). It was established in memory of Dr. Arlow Burdette Stout, who is considered to be the father of modern daylily breeding in North America. It was the first award category established by AHS and is given annually. As a result, the garden displays nearly 50 years of the most significant advances in daylily breeding. This award--as voted by AHS judges--can only be given to a cultivar that has received the Award of Merit in the three years prior.

Over 60 cultivars of arborvitae (Thuja) are planted throughout the Arboretum. Those in the Ed Hasselkus Arborvitae Collection are small-scale cushions, globes, pyramids and spires. Foliage varies in texture and color (shades of green, gold and variegated).

The Heartland Collection of Garden Conifers is the hallmark collection of the Bickelhaupt Arboretum. The inspiration for this collection came from the late Justin "Chub" Harper, Moline, IL. He felt the Arboretum was the perfect showplace to familiarize the public with the species. He believed conifers had much to offer: a variety of textures, shapes, sizes and colors as well as low maintenance requirements. The initial planning, bed layout and plant selection were completed during the summer and fall of 1990 with the first conifers planted in the spring of 1991. The collection is unique as there is a selection of older, time-tested cultivars as well as some newer ones. In addition to these conifers, the collection has many one-of-a-kind plants that originate from witch's brooms. T hese witch's brooms have been discovered and made available to the Bickelhaupt by various collectors throughout the United States. Harper felt their inclusion was important for study and for visitors' awareness and enjoyment.

Today the Heartland Collection consists of 412 plants, all labeled with genus, species and cultivars, as well as the common names and the accession number; witch's brooms are clearly marked. The collection is continually changing with plants removed to avoid crowding. Replacement plants are chosen which do not have major insect and disease problems and are hardy to Zone 5. One of many interesting features found in the collection is the Alberta Spruce Grove located along the walking path at the entrance to the collection. There are 52 plants in the grove, imitating a miniature forest.

The Bickelhaupt Arboretum hosted the Central Region Meeting of the American Conifer Society in 2001 and was a tour stop for the 2008 National Meeting of the ACS held in Dubuque, IA. The collection is located at the northern edge of the arboretum, covering approximately 1.5 acres of rolling terrain; a waterfall and several benches located in key areas invite visitors to view this important collection. A listing of the plants is available upon request in the Learning Center as well as on the website: www.bick-arb.org

The Herb Garden is a joint effort of the Bickelhaupt Arboretum and Mercy Healthcare Foundation. Nestled in the northeastern corner of the Bickelhaupt Arboretum, the herb garden contains more than 60 herb specimens. The Herb Garden focuses on the mission of the Bickelhaupt Arboretum: to serve as a connection between people and plants through a better understanding of horticulture and by developing and maintaining a well-documented collection for education and enjoyment. The Herb Garden is a garden for learning, interacting, and reflecting. Using the loose definition of an herb as "any plant with a use," the garden is filled with annuals, perennials, vines, and shrubs used for everything from flavoring food to making medicine and cosmetics. The raised garden is contained by a cut stone wall which allows for easy, up-close access to touch and smell the flowers and leaves. Sweetly-scented lavender surrounds a bubbling fountain. There is a bench for enjoying the garden located nearby.