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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Illinois Wildflower Program?
The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Wildflowers of Illinois Program
As a part of the Governor’s overall environmental emphasis, Illinois’ First Lady, Patty Blagojevich, created the State Beautification Initiative to improve the quality of life in our state, enhance tourism, restore Illinois’ ecological identity and to make our state a more attractive place in which to live. The wildflowers of Illinois program has been developed as a portion of that initiative.
The Prairie is not so much a place as it is an experience. It is an ever changing kaleidoscope of brilliantly colored flowers and plumed grasses waving in the wind. It has plants with such intriguing names as rattlesnake master, compass plant, shooting star, gay feather, little bluestem and culver’s physic. Only a small fraction of Illinois’ original 22 million acres of prairie remains. The wildflowers of Illinois Program is designed to offer a sense of this experience to future generations by refocusing the way in which our resources are employed in the landscaping and maintenance of the 19,000 miles of state highway system. By utilizing existing roadside enhancement and maintenance funding to plant native wildflowers and prairie plants, in the place of manicured turf along roadsides of our state highway system, we hope to foster economic development, promote responsible stewardship, encourage environmental understanding and reduce roadside maintenance costs. The Program began in Spring 2004 with two separate undertakings, wildflowers for Illinois Gateways and wildflowers for Communities.
The Wildflowers for Illinois Gateways will be found on the roadsides at the major entry points to Illinois. These plantings will greet visitors to Illinois with a colorful display of native plants that will serve as a future setting for markers welcoming our visitors. Wildflower Gateways will help make Illinois a better and more attractive place to live and visit, and as a result, the state will develop an improved business climate encouraging economic growth. The 2004 portion of wildflower Gateways will consist of locations near Illinois’ borders along the interstate highway system and other major routes which will be planted by Department of Transportation personnel during the Spring season. Plant materials and labor will be contributed to the program by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Department of Corrections. Illinois and other vendors will supply the balance of materials needed for successful planting and establishment of the gateways, which will be funded by existing roadside maintenance budgets.
Wildflowers for Communities will involve various communities throughout Illinois in 2004. After signing an agreement with the department to participate in the program, each community will select locations along state highways within their communities, and develop a plan for the establishment of the wildflowers with the assistance and approval of department Landscape Architects. The communities will then install the plantings with contractors, their own employees, or community volunteers such as Master Gardeners. Watering, weeding and other similar cultural needs will be arranged by the communities, usually employing similar resources. The agreement provides for an initial grant from the department of up to $35,000 with a $5000 local match per community. The local portion may be a cash outlay or in-kind services. The agreements also provide for two years maintenance by the communities with a reimbursement of $5,000 per year for that work.
Where are the 2004 Wildflowers for Illinois' Gateways sites?
Link to Gateways Map
Where are the 2004 Wildflowers for Illinois' Communities?
Link to Communities Map
How can my Community get involved?
The 2004 portion of this program has been fully subscribed to, however, any community may express interest in participation in any future “Wildflowers for Communities” programs simply by submitting a letter to Milton R. Sees, Acting Secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation, 2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, Il 62764.
What are some of the wildflowers being planted?
Some Wildflowers and Other Native Plants For Use in Wildflower Programs
(Genus/Species Name/Common Name)
- Andropogon scoparius/Big Bluestem
- Asclepias tuberosa/Butterfly Milkweed
- Aster novae-anglia/New England Aster
- Aster oblongifolius/ Aromatic Aster
- Baptisia australis/Blue False Indigo
- Coreopsis lanceolata/Lanceleaf Coreopsis
- Echinacea pallida/Pale Purple Coneflower
- Echinacea paradoxa/Yellow Coneflower
- Echinacea purpurea/Purple Coneflower
- Liatris pycnostachya/Prairie Blazing Star
- Monarda fistulosa/Wild Bergamot
- Ratibida pinnata/Grey-headed coneflower
- Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida/Black-eyed Susan
- Rubeckia hirta goldstrum/Goldstrum Black-eyed Susan
- Rudbeckia missouriensis/Black-eyed Susan
- Schizachyrim scoparium/Little Bluestem
- Silphium terebinthinaceum/Prairie Dock
- Solidago rigida/Rigid Goldenrod
- Sporabolus heterolepsis/Prairie Drop Seed
- Tradescantia bracterta/Spider Wort
- Zizia airea/Golden Alexander
What are some sources of seeds and plants?
Source List: Wildflower Project Plants and Seed
How do I plant and maintain wildflowers on my property?
The first thing to remember when you are planning to plant wildflowers on your property, is that if you follow the proper planting procedures, and have patience, your planting will pay great dividends in the future. Wildflowers, as discussed in the following text, are Illinois’ native prairie grasses and associated flowers, which are properly known as forbs. These are plants that existed in our state before the European settlers came and the buffalo roamed the prairie. These plants have the genetics to survive and thrive in Illinois, given the proper conditions.
Site conditions
The prairie is divided into five soil and moisture types: wet, wet mesic, mesic, dry mesic and dry. Each plant species has individual preferences for soil type, moisture requirements, and a variety of factors. One must first determine what type of conditions soil and moisture conditions exist in the area that is to be planted. As a general guide, assume wet has lots of water and has a large amount of clay soil, mesic has a medium amount of water and the soil tends to be silt or sandy loam, and dry has very little water and the soil is sandy. The other types wet mesic and dry mesic fall between the others. The next important factor is the amount of sunlight your site will receive. Remember that these are sun loving plants and the more sun light they get the better they will do. This is not to say that they cannot have shade, but the more shade they have, the greater the effect on plant growth. Plants receiving large amounts of sunlight will thrive while those receiving large amounts of shade may be stunted in size and fail to bloom.
Site preparation
In many cases, you will be establishing your Wildflowers in an area that is already planted with grasses and/or other plants. If your area is bare soil, then this step may be skipped. The following procedures are typically done in the Spring but, may also be done in the Fall. The area planned for the wildflowers should first have any woody materials (trees, shrubs, etc.) removed, and the stumps treated with an herbicide. If local ordinances allow, the area should be burned to remove all plant litter. If burning is not allowed, the area should be mowed to a height of no more than 2” to 3” and all litter should be raked and removed. The area then should be treated with a non-selective herbicide such as Roundup. This is meant to kill all existing growth so that you will have a suitable planting bed. If time permits, a second treatment of herbicide should be applied, to assure the complete eradication of existing vegetation. To assure a proper kill, allow approximately two weeks between application of the herbicide and planting or seeding. Once you have achieved a complete vegetation kill, then you need to do a second mowing. This time the mower blades should be set at the lowest setting, and once again the litter needs to be removed. This procedure is not necessary if you were able to burn. Your site is now ready to plant. It is not recommended that any cultivation of the soil be done. Cultivation of the site will encourage the development of weeds by disturbing buried weed and grass seeds.
Seed Mixes
You should refer to local native plant growers, reference books and other sources to help you determine your list of grasses and flowers. A thorough discussion can not take place here due to the large variety of factors affecting each site. It is highly recommended that you seek advice from sources in your area. As a general rule, no more that 25% of your mix should be prairie grasses, due to their highly competitive nature. When determining your species list for planting, you should consider the inclusion of several appropriate annual flowering plants in your mix. The reason for this is that prairie grasses and forbs can take a number of years to get established and during that time the annuals will provide some color to your wildflower planting.
Planting
Planting Wildflowers can be done from seed or from plants. Planting from seed is less expensive in the long run, but it also will take longer for the prairie to become established. Planting with plants will be more expensive, and will require more site preparation, but they will require less maintenance and become established more rapidly. When planting seeds, the most important thing to remember is that you want to get good soil to seed contact without planting too deeply. This will ensure a better chance of proper seed germination and root establishment. When you acquire your prairie seed, you are going to notice how small, light and fluffy they are. Depending on the size of your planting, you can employ one of two planting methods: hand scattering (known as broadcasting), or mechanical planting. If you have a small area, or are planting a single variety in one particular area, then the hand broadcast method should be used. Scatter the seed over the planting area making sure that you apply a sufficient amount of seed for good coverage. If the quantity of seed to be spread is small, thoroughly mixing the seed with damp sand will help spread it evenly. Once the area has been planted you should lightly rake the surface to assure good soil to seed contact. The area should also be lightly watered immediately to help hold the seed in place. Continue this with the next variety or area, until all have been planted. If the area you are planting is large enough, you need to plant by mechanical means using a prairie seed drill such as a Truax Seed Drill. By using a prairie seed drill you will have a higher success rate because it is specially designed to plant prairie type seeds at the proper depth. It has multiple seed bins to handle the various seed sizes. The drill should be properly calibrated to apply the seed at the proper rate. When using a seed drill, multiple kinds of seeds may be planted at once, or single varieties can be planted. When using potted plants in your wildflowers planting, then it is necessary to dig the proper sized hole and add compost as necessary. It is recommended that you lay out the site first to determine where the plants are to go prior to digging and planting.
Period of establishment
The period of establishment is the time from initial planting until your Wildflowers become mature and more or less self sustaining. This period typically is 3 to 5 years for material planted from seed. Potted plants should be well established in 2 to 3 years. During this period of establishment, the grasses and forbs are putting their efforts into root development. This assures their ability to survive varying weather conditions. During this period, weeds can out-compete your wildflowers, so it is very important to control the weeds, water when needed, reseed the prairie grasses and forbs as necessary, and do whatever else is required to assure the wildflowers survive. It is important to educate yourself to recognize the wildflower seedlings, before you begin weeding.
Regular maintenance – post period of establishment
There is light at the end of the tunnel. Once the initial period of establishment has been completed for either seed or potted plants, you will start reaping the true benefits of your plantings. This is not to say that you are maintenance free. However, the level of maintenance will be far less once the wildflowers have been established. Some periodic maintenance will be needed so that the plantings will thrive and out-compete the weeds. The periodic maintenance that is required will be guided by the size of your planting. The needed maintenance will consist of either burning (if allowed) or fall mowing. If your area is small (1000 sq. ft. or less), a 2 to 3 year rotation of burning or fall mowing should be followed. If your area is larger, you may want to consider only doing a portion of it each year, again on a 2 to 3 year rotation. This rotation assures that you will not endanger beneficial insect or other animal life present on your site. Fall mowing should take place late enough in the season to assure that all prairie grasses and forbs have gone to seed. A cutting height of 4” to 6” should be used. As your prairie planting reaches maturity, you will be able to experience and enjoy the butterflies, birds and insects and the ever changing array of blooming forbs and waving grasses as one season ends and another begins. You will find the satisfaction of knowing you have restored a small piece of our lost environmental history – the Prairie.
Where can I go for additional information?
What are some of the proposed future wildflower projects?
- A wildflower corridor between Bloomington, Peoria and Lincoln along interstate highways 55, 74, and 155.
- Wildflower corridors along other selected routes.
- Demonstration plantings with interpretive signing for ease of identification of flowers at interstate rest areas.
- A statewide program of planting wildflowers and other native plantings along roadsides outside of safety mowing limits.
- Signage of wildflower corridors when they become established.
- New wildflower brochure.
- An awards program recognizing outstanding community efforts at beautifying roadsides with wildflowers.
What is the background of roadside planting in Illinois?
A History of Plantings on Illinois' Highways
In presettlement times, nearly twenty-two million acres of what was to be the State of Illinois were covered by native prairie and savanna vegetation. However, by 1950, less than one percent remained in scattered small parcels throughout the State.
During the 1950's, the State of Illinois began construction of the Interstate Highway System which, when completed 30 years later, would increase the size of Illinois' roadsides to approximately 155,000 acres. As a part of Interstate Highway construction, extensive landscaping was done on the right of way, the first such program in Illinois since the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps planted the entire highway system in the 1930’s. As was typical of highway landscaping styles of the 1950’s and 60’s, the right of way was designed as a parkway setting with naturalistic plantings and fully mowed expanses of turf. Native trees and shrubs were included as a part of the interstate highway landscape to the extent that they were available in the trade. Native grasses and forbs were not included in highway planting programs until after 1975, when the majority of the interstate system in Illinois had already been constructed. This was because these plants were not well known by the designers, and not generally available through normally used sources of supply.
One of the early uses of native grasses for landscaping purposes was as a landscape element, a seeded substitute for expensive shrub massing in an interchange. In 1969, a monoculture of Little Bluestem, with scattered Pin Oak trees, were seeded in the south interchange of I-57 and I-64 near Mt Vernon by our Effingham District office. At that time, very little information was available on mass planting techniques for native grasses, and sources of seed were very limited. Wilson Seed Farms in Kansas provided some mimeographed material on planting procedures, upon which the specifications were based. The landscaping contractor, Federal Landscape Company of Harrisburg, purchased the seed from Wilson for the planting. Seed, at that time, was supplied just as it came from the field, and contained a large percentage of stems, leaves and other chaff. This resulted in a very large quantity of material necessary to achieve the required amount of pure live seed. The bulk and inconsistent size caused difficulty in planting with any available drills. The seed was eventually broadcast by hand, and disced into the soil. For a number of seasons very little grass was evident.
During the early 1970's, various District offices experimented with planting of native grasses, mostly using State forces. To facilitate this effort, the Department purchased a Nesbitt grass drill for use by all Districts. As Illinois' knowledge about planting techniques was being developed, native seed was becoming available from more sources and in better quality than before. During the same period, a few private companies, notably LaFayette Home Nursery of LaFayette, Illinois, began using native grasses and forbs in commercial plantings. This work resulted in better understanding of planting techniques, and fostered a fledgling demand for seed and plants of prairie species.
In 1974, the Department's Peoria office used a tree spade to transplant some salvaged native prairie to the Mackinaw Dells Rest Area. As a part of that project, they also planted some native grass and wildflower seed hand collected by State forces from a prairie remnant on highway right of way. That same year, they cooperated with a local Peoria group on a wildflower seeding project using purchased seed that foreshadowed later Operation Wildflower efforts. Through the 1970's, the Peoria office worked with the LaFayette Nursery to establish plantings including native grasses, forbs, and annuals at various locations. This work served to further refine planting methods for the right of way.
In the Chicago area, experimentation was being done by the Schaumburg District office in cooperation with Iverson's Perennial Gardens on the planting of wildflower plants and flower bulbs with a seedling tree planter. This was developed as a technique to more rapidly establish flowering herbaceous plants on highway projects. Iverson's also utilized the knowledge gained to ensure the success of their collaboration with artist Chapman Kelley on the 1984 "Wildflower Works I", a wildflower planting atop Chicago's Monroe Street parking garage, in the lakefront’s Grant Park.
In the early 1980’s, two projects were initiated that built upon the knowledge and techniques developed in the 70's and established native plantings as a routine roadside landscape practice. In the fall of 1979, the first of several landscaping projects was initiated as a part of the total reconstruction of the Edens Expressway (I-94) in Chicago and the near North suburbs. These projects included seeded native grasses and wildflowers, and wildflower plants on approximately 30 acres of previously mowed turf. As a part of the project, mowing lines as a design element, were established on the plans, and marked in the field, further reducing the area mowed. In 1981, the Ottawa and Springfield Districts initiated landscaping projects on a 65-mile portion of I-55, which converted mowed turf to unmown native grasses. Use of native plants for roadside landscaping expanded in Illinois, and by the end of the 1999 planting season it was estimated that over 7500 acres of highway right of way will have been planted in native grasses and wildflowers. Several projects have also been initiated involving the salvage of native remnants using tree spades, or soil and seed bank salvage.
Illinois' native grass and wildflower programs have been accomplished in several ways, however, the largest acreage has been planted as a part of regular construction or landscaping contracts. In these projects, the successful bidder obtains the required materials from a commercial supplier, and installs them in accordance with the specifications or special provisions prepared by the District Landscape Architects. Since 1988, Illinois' Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction have contained suggested wildflower and native grass planting specifications. The Landscape Architects frequently substitute their own specialized mixes and planting procedures for those specified. The objective of Illinois' roadside vegetation policy is to eventually convert all areas outside the normal mowing limits to minimal maintenance vegetation, utilizing native prairie plants. This will be accomplished during the normal course of reconstruction of the highway system, through overseeding, interseeding and conventional seeding methods.
Many smaller native planting projects are accomplished by Bureau of Operations employees using commercially obtained seed and plants or with material obtained from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources nurseries. These projects are usually concentrated in high visibility areas such as at city limits, interchanges and Interstate Rest Areas. Operations personnel have also installed many reforestation projects, utilizing seedling trees from the DNR nurseries. Most of these projects by State forces are in locations that are not scheduled for other roadway work in the near future. On average, IDOT employees plant 80,000 seedlings annually as part of the DNR program.
Another means that has been used for the establishment of native vegetation on the highway right of way is Operation Wildflower. This program, established by the USDOT is conducted in cooperation with the Garden Clubs of Illinois, Inc. and their local affiliate garden clubs. Operation Wildflower consists of a cooperative effort between the clubs and the Department to establish flowering plants on the right of way. Usually, the local Garden Club supplies the plant material and the Department arranges its planting by contract or by State forces at an agreed upon roadside location. In many cases, the local Garden Clubs have also helped with the planting, or have agreed to provide post-planting care for the plants. In addition to local efforts, the State Garden Club organization biannually sponsors a planting on highway property in the vicinity of their President's hometown. Each year, IDOT employees are recognized for outstanding beautification efforts by Garden Clubs of Illinois.
The Department has begun utilizing native plants on a variety of restoration projects dealing with vegetation types other than prairie or woodlands. The most common of these projects involve wetland mitigation installations that utilize aquatic plants and wet or wet-mesic seeding mixes. The Department has also constructed a few projects that involve restoration or establishment of woodland or savanna communities with native plants typical to each. Supply of plant material for these specialized plantings is limited at present. However, the contractors doing this work for the Department have thus far been able to locate commercial sources to supply the majority of the specified plants.
A comprehensive native grass and wildflower establishment program, Corridors for Tomorrow, was initiated in 1993. This program was initially funded through the enhancement portion of the Federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). The goal was to establish wildflower and native grass plantings at interchanges, Rest Areas and State entrances where sufficient room exists and other reconstruction is not scheduled, and to educate the public about native plantings on the roadside. The planting is done by landscape contractors who secure their materials from commercial suppliers. Specifications for planting methods and varieties are prepared by the Department's nine District Landscape Architects, and thus vary according to the area of the State in which they are planted. Hydroseeding and drilling are used as the primary planting techniques, both on bare ground sites and in existing turf areas. In some projects, both seeding and plant plugs are utilized in order to obtain faster establishment of the permanent species. Annual flowering plants are often included to provide some color the first season. Signage with color graphics depicting wildflowers, prairie plants, wetlands or seedling trees, has been developed to assist the traveling public in recognition of the planted areas, and to alert Operations forces to their presence. During the two years of this program, almost three million dollars of enhancement funds were expended planting 1500 acres at 85 locations, mostly on interstate and freeway rights of way throughout the state. A color brochure, “Prairie and Highways” was also produced to educate the public on the program. The Corridors For Tomorrow program continued under the Federal Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (Tea-21) enhancement program adding 1000 more acres of plantings. It is planned to add corridor signing and informational signing of demonstration plantings at selected rest areas in the future. Illinois' goal with this program, combined with other ongoing programs, is to establish over 10,000 acres of native grasses and wildflowers along our highways.
In 2003, a new program was begun under the sponsorship of the Illinois’ First Lady Patty Blagojevich called the State Beautification Initiative. The Department of Transportation’s portion of this program was called Wildflowers for Illinois’ Gateways and Wildflowers for Illinois’ Communities. These programs were introduced at the 2003 State Fairs in Springfield and Duquoin, and the initial plantings were done in 2004. The Gateways Program involved plantings at state entrances to be installed by state forces, supported by the Illinois Departments of Natural Resources and Corrections. IDNR supplied plant rootstock, and IDOC planted them in their greenhouses to develop into usable plants. The Communities Program issued grants for planting and maintenance of wildflowers at community entrances throughout the state. These programs are intended to enhance the quality of life and promote economic development throughout the state.
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