The Real Vegetation of our Urban Landscapes
Driving down I-94 recently, I noticed a bright orange patch of butterfly milkweed, wild bergamot, and purple coneflower growing along the highway embankment. The plants were in bloom and stood out amongst the surrounding vegetation. At other times of year, the planting wouldn’t make an impact, but in July it jumps out at you even at 75 miles an hour. The plantings were so vibrant that we were inspired to exit the off ramp, climb down the retaining wall and get some close up pictures. Once on the ground we saw that there were spots throughout the planting where people had dug up plants for their gardens. This planting is the result of new methods for roadside vegetation planting, establishment, and maintenance specified in Native Seed Mix Design for Roadsides, a report prepared for MNDOT by Kestrel Design Group in 2010. This report reflects the rise of green infrastructure and native vegetation restoration as emergent paradigms for understanding urban ecology and landscape management, particularly at the macro-scale of transportation networks.