1998 Iowa Turfgrass Research Report

1998 Iowa Turfgrass Research Report

Prairie Demonstration

Kevin Jones and David D. Minner

Iowa has two broad regions for potential natural vegetation. Bluestem prairies are found in the north half of Iowa while oak-hickory forests dominate the southern half of the state. Throughout the entire state there are pockets of land that support a mixture of both prairie and forest. The term "bluestem prairie" can be somewhat misleading since there is a wide variety of forbes and grasses that make up Iowa's prairie plant community. There are usually less than 10 different grasses found in most prairies, while there may be 30 to 50 different forbes or wild flowers. This demonstration area was initiated to show the diversity of plants suitable for prairie restoration in Iowa. Furthermore, many turf managers are finding that the prairie can provide an appealing and low maintenance alternative for some turf areas.

Individual species of prairie plants are growing in labeled plots for easy identification. The plants were started in the greenhouse and then field transplanted as plugs in the spring of 1997. A prairie restoration area will be seeded in the fall of 1998 adjacent to the prairie plant identification plots.

Table 1. Prairie plant identification plots. Individual plots are 10 ft by 2 ft.

ISU Horticulture:Publications:1998 Turfgrass Report

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