Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - April 26, 2005
From: Carls Corner, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Managing Roadsides
Title: Prairie Paintbrush and Managing Roadsides
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have been visiting a piece of land beside I-35 for quite a few years now. It is home to tons of different plants, but it really has a fantastic show of Prairie Paintbrush - the multicolored ones, not just the Texas kind. I have also found wild larskpur, golden and blue flax, bluebonnets, gallardia, and lots of other things. My question is: is there a way to make this a protected area, so that people can enjoy it but are warned not to pick or dig up plants? I've thought about putting signs up myself, but I figured they'd just get removed by someone. I feel like these plants are not planted by TXDOT because of the unusual variety, and I'd love to see it protected and even improved. The location is one exit north of Carl's Corner in Hill County. I think it's exit 877, but I'm not sure. It's on the southbound side of I-35. It's not very obvious from the highway, which is no doubt why it has done as well as it has. But I have started seeing families there in the spring, and I worry about the area becoming ruined. Again, since I think the plants are there naturally and not being re-seeded, it's not like the normal bluebonnet hills that people tromp through every year. There is a well-used shoulder where semis and other travelers can park.ANSWER:
Assuming that this is the right-of-way for I 35, you should contact the Maintenance Division of the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDoT) to learn who is the supervisior for the Vegetation Management Program in that area. Another possible contact is the Right-of-Way Division of TXDoT. Even if they didn't originally seed the area, it is obvious that TXDot is doing something right (e.g., waiting till seeds have set and fallen before mowing) to insure that the flowers reappear every year. Since they do seem to care for it, you would be doing them a service to let them know that people are parking there. They might be willing to put up signs discouraging parking and encouraging preserving the area, i. e., not picking, digging up or trampling plants.There might be someone in the Hill County government (County Commissioners, for instance) who would be interested in seeing that the area is preserved. You also might contact the local coordinator for the Adopt-a-Highway program in that area to see if there is a group managing that part of I 35. If not, you might find a group in that area who would be interested in adopting the section of the highway that includes the site. Although there is not a law against picking bluebonnets or other wildflowers it is illegal to destroy rights-of-way or government property. Working with an Adopt-a-Highway group, or on your own, you might have signs made urging the protection of the area and noting the illegality of destroying government property (the wildflowers) on the right-or-way. You will need to have the signs and their location approved by TXDoT before installing them, of course.
If the land in question is not part of the Texas highway right-of-way, you would need to contact the owner of the property about measures to preserve it.
Finally, there is a 1-page PDF article, "Planting Wildflowers along Roadsides", from the Native Plant Library that you can download with information about planting and maintaining wildflowers along roadsides.
More Managing Roadsides Questions
Planting bluebonnets along highway
April 28, 2007 - We are in the process of fencing our land located on a main highway. We are supposed to fence 80ft. from the center of the highway. That is a lot of land just sitting there. I wanted to know since we ...
view the full question and answer
Jurisdiction regarding roadsides
January 31, 2003 - Who has jurisdiction regarding the seeding of wildflowers along Texas interstates?
view the full question and answer
Can a fallen tree in Texas have pieces of it removed from Winona TX
October 20, 2012 - I was wondering if you could tell me if a tree has fallen down, is it legal for me to go and cut pieces off of it in the state of Texas. And if you happen not to know could you tell me who I would con...
view the full question and answer
Winter snow and road salt in Michigan
June 27, 2010 - I have been asked to select plants for an area in zone5/6 that suffers from snow load and street salt during winters. The area is about 15x18 and has a deciduous tree in the center. Grass, which did ...
view the full question and answer
Native plants for roadside in Gallatin TN
February 19, 2012 - What native plant would you suggest that we try to establish on 100 feet of road frontage which gets full afternoon sun? The soil is mostly clay, and it's on a rather sleep hill about 10 feet high. ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |