Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Tuesday - March 04, 2003
From: Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Managing Roadsides
Title: Starting program for growing wildflowers on highways in Dallas
Answered by: Stephen Brueggerhoff
QUESTION:
How can I start a planting program to grow wildflowers along the interstate and highways where I live?ANSWER:
There was a national program developed in 1973, entitled Operation Wildflower, that was the impetus for national highway beautification with native plants, an expansion of the Federal Highway Beautification Act of 1965. My recommendation to you is to contact your County Commissioner's office to discover what the policies are regarding vegetation management along the public highways in your area, and whom the appropriate contact person might be.More Managing Roadsides Questions
Non-invasive alternatives to winter rye
August 20, 2004 - Re-vegetation requirements include winter rye, which is considered by some to be invasive to native wildflowers planted along the roadway. Is winter rye considered invasive to native wildflowers?
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Liriope spicata for erosion and dust suppression from Bonifay FL
August 16, 2011 - I want to plant Liriope 'spicata'. I know it can be aggressive and that's what I want. We live on dirt road and need something by road for help in erosion and it's also hard to mow this are...
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Do any laws prohibit killing roadside wildflowers?
April 09, 2013 - Is there any law or regulation at the state level that prohibits, or at least discourages, mowing or spraying herbicide on the highway roadsides before the wildflowers have set seeds or did we lose th...
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Identification of blue wildflower on roadsides in Massachusetts
July 28, 2012 - What is the blue wildflower planted on roadsides and highways in Massachusetts?
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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 ...
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