Adirty Dozen Reasons Why                                                               by Marc

1. Prairies are ecosystems in a climax stage of development. This means they stay in a permanent state as long as tree and shrub growth is kept in check either by mowing or controlled burning. Key to prairie reconstruction is selecting climax species when collecting seed.

2. Establishing prairie changes the hydrology of the reconstruction site. Fibrous root systems of grasses and forbs often reach six feet or more in depth. These roots act as channels for water to percolate deeply through the soil, replenishing aquifers and hillside seeps.

3. Many climax species of herbs and grasses have been shown to consistently remove pioneer species such as Blackberry, Dewberry, Vasey grass, and other noxious perennials. Privet, cedar, and most other woody plants can be kept in check by mowing or burning. Research has shown that these desireable “pushy perennials” are genetically predisposed to aggressively rehabilitate the ecosystem after disturbance occurs, moving out pioneer species and many exotic invasives.

4. Indicator plants are showy species that identify areas of relative high species richness and diversity or “seedbanks”. Some common herbaceous indicator species are Siphium, Eryngium, Pychnanthemum, Liatris, Baptisia, Phlox, and Asclepias. Some indicator grasses are Paspalum, Andropogon, Schizacharium, and Sorgastrum. These plants don’t always signal rarities but most always identify a level of species richness.

5. Using indicator plants to locate nearby stands of wildflowers and grasses insures a greater chance of success in seed collection.

6. Prairies and savanas are some of the most threatened ecosystems in the state. Ethical collection of seed during restoration work can save many genetic ecotypes from the brink of extinction.

7. Prairie gardening in most Midwestern states is an integral landscape design element. This increases habitat diversity and provides tens of millions of dollars to the economy. Millions of acres of prairie and savanna existed in Mississippi and Louisiana in pre- Columbian times. The stewardship of existing prairie remnants and the restoration/reconstruction of adjacent and disjunct fields could produce similar benefits here in our home state.

8. Prairie plants, by virtue of where they exist, are proven to be the most adaptable plants to the most hostile environmental conditions. The most important requirements are lots of sun and woody plant suppression.

9. Prairie grasses and herbs provide ideal forage for herbivores. They support many insects that feed threatened field songbirds. They provide nectar for pollinators and are host plants for egg-laying butterflies and insects. Grasses provide fuel for much needed fire and add winter interest to the landscape.

10. Research has shown that mowing a newly established prairie planting as regularly as every three weeks during the first and second growing season will keep rank pioneer species from reseeding and also will prevent these plants from shading out seedlings of desirable species.

11. Most prairie seeds do not germinate in a uniform fashion. Baptisia seed, for instance, will germinate a percentage the first year, another percentage the second and so on. This insures reproduction over the long term. Many prairie species are viable up to thirty years. This phenomenon insures surprises for the prairie enthusiast for many years.

12. Patience is the most valuable commodity when gardening "a la prairie". However, it is my experience that when planting a tree, one expects to wait three to five or more years to “harvest” the equity of its beauty. This is also true with herbs and grasses.