Iowa Roadside Management

08/08/2026

We saw several monarch butterflies visiting swamp, also known as rose, milkw**d (Asclepias incarnata) in today's roadside milkw**d and monarch surveys. Adults feed on the nectar of swamp milkw**d and many other flowering plants. It is also one of the milkw**d species most preferred by monarchs for egg laying.

07/31/2026

Oxeye sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) is also known as false sunflower because it is not a true sunflower—both its long petal-like ray florets and the small disk florets in the center produce seed, while in true sunflowers only the disk florets produce seed. We like to include this species in roadside seed mixes because it has a long bloom period from June well into September or October, and it is easy to establish. Painted lady butterflies and many types of bees are among the insects attracted to oxeye sunflower.

07/17/2026

Registration is now open for the 2026 roadside conference, which will be October 7-9! The conference will be held in Carroll, Iowa at the Carrollton Inn and co-hosted by Guthrie County roadside manager Tim Masters with Audubon County roadside manager T.J. Jacobsen hosting one of the Thursday afternoon field tour stops.

We have a nice variety of management and program-related talks this year; topics will include:

- Perspectives on changes in the Guthrie County roadside program from the county engineer and conservation board director
- Perspective on roadside departments from a former roadside manager and current member of the Audubon County board of supervisors
- Highlighted successful Living Roadway Trust Fund grant projects
- How plant traits help determine the cost of native species
- An introduction to prescribed fire
- State and county living snow fence programs
- Living Roadway Trust Fund and Iowa Roadside Management program updates

For more information and to register, visit: https://tallgrassprairiecenter.org/2026-roadside-conference

07/03/2026

Some red, white, and blue flowers (well, purplish-red/magenta since it's hard to find pure red right now) that are blooming in Iowa prairies and roadsides: purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum), and Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis).

06/26/2026

Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) is blooming across Iowa this time of year. This species is typically included in the roadside seed mixes provided to counties and cities because it is a legume, converting nitrogen from the air into a usable form for plants. It is also highly attractive to many pollinators, including bumblebees and many types of butterflies.

06/17/2026

Can you spot the monarch caterpillar on this roadside common milkw**d? It's part of the first generation of monarch caterpillars for this year.

06/04/2026

Did you know Iowa's REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) program helps support roadside vegetation programs and various conservation, outdoor recreation, and historic preservation projects around the state? Visit your local REAP assembly to share ideas for how REAP can benefit your community.

06/01/2026

The showy Penstemon grandiflorus (large beardtongue or shell-leaf beardtongue) is blooming now. Growing on roadsides with dry, sandy soils, this Penstemon species attracts hummingbirds and bumblebees.

05/16/2026

If you see small yellow daisy-like flowers in roadsides right now they likely belong to prairie ragwort, also known as prairie groundsel (Packera plattensis). Prairie ragwort grows in sunny, dry environments, including hill prairies, upland prairies, and disturbed areas such as roadsides or railroad rights-of-way. It is a biennial or short-lived perennial plant and is visited by flies, small bees, and skippers. Because the foliage is highly toxic to mammalian herbivores, deer and rabbits avoid eating it.

04/30/2026

With all the recent rain, the grass is certainly growing. Did you know Iowa has a mowing law that restricts roadside mowing until July 15 to protect ground-nesting birds? There are some exceptions related to safety or pest or w**d control. This Gazette article explains more about the purpose of the law.

Curious Iowa looks into why Iowa’s mowing law was put in place, what it aims to protect and the requirements for haying roadside grasses.