Iowa Roadside Management

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.

04/24/2026

Welcome to the roadside community, Charles!

04/10/2026

The next Roadside Vegetation Programs 101 webinar is on Wednesday, May 6 at 1:00 p.m. Central. Attendees will learn about resources the Iowa DOT's Living Roadway Trust Fund and the Iowa Roadside Management program can provide to counties and cities that have an Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management plan, including grant funding and free native seed. To register, visit this link or the QR code in the image below: https://uni.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G76lRHBmRxOzbnESxbK9Aw

04/03/2026

We are creating a list of contractors who design, install, and/or maintain small-scale plantings using native vegetation in Iowa. The contractor does not need to be located in Iowa, but the service area should include part of Iowa.

This list will be provided to Iowa residents, businesses, local governments, and schools who are looking for a professional to assist with small-scale native plantings. Please complete this survey to be considered for the list and share the survey with any contractors you know who may be interested.

https://uni.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8vsKTnQQg4K1Ir4

If you are looking for someone to seed or manage a larger project, please refer to the Tallgrass Prairie Center's 2026 Iowa Prairie Seed and Service Providers list:

https://tallgrassprairiecenter.org/resources/prairie-reconstruction/seed-and-service-providers

03/27/2026

According to surveys (both formal and informal), roughly half of Iowa's counties with roadside vegetation managers on staff conduct prescribed burns on their roadsides. The next month is prime burn season because it's an effective time of year for killing woody seedlings, preventing the growth of brush that poses a safety hazard in the right-of-way. Dry fuel and favorable weather conditions are also often present in April.

Photo of a Dallas County roadside burn provided by Jacob Gish.

03/20/2026

Some recent news coverage about Benton County's new adopt a prairie program for rural roadsides.

As much of Iowa’s landscape is dominated by row crops, some eastern Iowa counties are working to restore native prairie plants along rural roadsides.Benton Coun