Lehigh, Iowa – The prairie around the 6,500-acre Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, in Webster County, is much more than just another pretty flower – it’s the source for prairie seeds planted on Iowa state parks and wildlife areas.
At one time, nearly 80 percent of Iowa was covered in prairie. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Prairie Resource Center cultivates and harvests native plant seed to establish new prairies on public land. Bill Johnson, wildlife biologist for the Iowa DNR, is responsible for overseeing seed production and filling orders for the increasing demand for prairie seed since the facility opened in 2000.
The initial seed to begin growing prairies here was collected from remnant native prairies on the state preserves.
“We want the best prairie on our public land and that’s what we’re trying to promote here,” Johnson said. “I want everyone to see the to see the benefits provided by prairies that I see.”
The Prairie Resource Center and surrounding fields have grown more than 100 different prairie plant species, but not every year. Johnson uses a combination of species-specific cultivated plots growing 2,000 plants per plot, blocks of land planted with little bluestem then 20-foot-wide strips of specific prairie plants, and whole fields with established prairies to provide seed requested by land managers.
“The individual plots are the most labor intensive,” he said. “We plant plugs started in our greenhouse, hand weed the plots and hand harvest the seeds. We can combine the field strips later, which is less labor intensive, but that method doesn’t work on all species. For example, we tried planting prairie blazing star in strips but rodents ate the bulbs underground.”
For species that work using the field strip method, Johnson said they can harvest about 50 pounds of seed per year. This year, golden Alexander and partridge pea is doing really well. White indigo too, but white indigo will probably be harvested by hand.
Harvest begins in May for the early seeds, but the bulk occurs from the middle of August to middle of October. For plants that mature late, frost is key to finalizing the seed harvest.
All seed collected here is used on public land, mostly state parks and wildlife areas, and does not go to private landowners. Johnson does work with private landowners looking for advice on seed mix and on how to establish a prairie.
“Planting a prairie takes time and the transition doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “We prepare the area by cropping it for one or two years to eliminate any brome or canary grass that may be present.”
First year prairies are weedy and require mowing to keep the annual weeds down, allowing the prairie plants to put down roots, get moisture and sunlight. “Getting the plants off to a good start that first year is key,” Johnson said.
Once the prairie is established, the native plants can out compete unwanted invasive species. Prairies attract bugs and provide habitat important for grassland birds and pheasants and the flowers are important for pollinators. The stems and root systems benefit water quality by standing up in heavy rain, slowing runoff and keeping soil in place.
“It’s habitat for all – pheasants, quail, turkeys, butterflies and bees,” he said.
Johnson said Iowa State University visited the reconstructed prairie managed by the center searching for the federally endangered rusty-patched bumble bee and the American bumble and found both in one day.
“This shows that habitat is the key, if you plant it, wildlife will soon follow,” he said.
This is a statewide program supported by the sales of hunting and fishing licenses. No federal funds are used to support it. Information on the Prairie Resource Center is available online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/conservation/prairie-resource-center
