Title: Rare Plants in Wisconsin Right-of-ways
1Rare Plants in Wisconsin Right-of-ways
- Presentation prepared by
- Wisconsin Transportation Information Center-LTAP
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
2Right-of-ways A resource for rare plants
- Help locate and protect endangered and threatened
Wisconsin plants - Watch for them during right-of-way work
- Mowing
- Brushing
- Spraying
- Utility projects
3Plants found in many counties
- Cream Gentian
- Purple Milkweed
4Cream Gentian Map
- Found in
- Brown, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford,
- Dane, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant,
Green, Iowa, - Jefferson, La Crosse, Lafayette, Milwaukee,
Monroe, - Pepin, Polk, Racine, Richland,
- St Croix, Sauk, Vernon, Walworth, and Waukesha
- Historical in Chippewa, Dodge, Kenosha,
Outagamie, Rock, Sheboygan
5Cream Gentian (or Yellowish Gentian)(Gentiana
alba)
- Blooms August-September
- Flower
- Cream-colored 1- ¼
- Tube shape with small opening at top
- Clusters of many flowers
- Plant
- Upright 1 to 3 feet tall
- Sturdy stems
- Usually not branched
- Grows in
- Varied soil and moisture conditions
- Sometimes found in roadside ditches and railroad
rights-of-ways
6Cream Gentian patch
7Purple Milkweed Map
- Found in
- Crawford, Dane, Grant, Iowa, Kenosha, Lafayette,
- Racine, Rock, Sauk, Walworth,
- Waukesha, Waushara, counties
- Historical in Jefferson, Milwaukee, Washington,
Winnebago
8Purple Milkweed(Asclepias purpurascens)
- Blooms June to August
- Flower
- Purple-red flower cluster
- Only 1-3 clusters to a plant
- Always at or near top of stem
- Often produces pods
- Plant
- Tall 1-1/2 to 6 feet
- Looks like common milkweed
- Often found in ditches. More likely in dry soil
9Purple Milkweed
10Other important plants and their regionsDwarf
Lake IrisForked AsterHairy Wild Petunia
11Dwarf Lake Iris Map
- Found in
- Door Brown counties
- Formerly in Milwaukee County
12Dwarf Lake Iris(Iris lacustris)
- Very rare. Grows only on north shore of Lake
Michigan, in Wisconsin. - Blooms peak in late May, a few into July
- Plant
- Tiny leaves 6 long
- Arranged in fans like garden iris
- Flower
- Blue-purple (a few white)
- 3 diameter
- 3 off the ground
- Found in ditches with
- Partial or filtered sun
- Shallow soils (alkaline)
- Near white cedars
13Dwarf Lake Iris patch
14Forked Aster MapEastern Southeastern Wisconsin
- Found in
- Fond du Lac, Milwaukee, Ozaukee,
- Racine, Rock, Sheboygan,
- Walworth, Washington, Waukesha
Formerly in Kewaunee Winnebago
15Forked Aster(Aster furcatus)
- Blooms August through October
- Flower
- White, star-shaped
- Tiny ½ inch across
- Branched cluster of 9-18 flowers
- Plant
- 12"-32" tall
- Grows in moist woods and edges, often near
streams - Rare. Only found in part of the Midwest.
16Forked Aster
17Hairy Wild Petunia Map Southern Wisconsin
- Found in
- Crawford, Dane, Grant, Outagamie,
- Rock, Winnebago counties
- Historical in Walworth
18Hairy Wild Petunia(Ruellia humilis)
- Blooms May to October
- Looks like garden petunia
- Flowers
- Pink - purple
- Small 1-1/4 inch wide
- Funnel shaped
- Plant
- Upright
- Short 3"-18" Often less than 12
- Has been found along roadsides
19Hairy Wild Petunia
20Discovered 2005Outagamie County roadside
21ProtectedNo-mow area
- Signs outline protected area
- Use general term Native Plants
- Exact location not publicized
22Other endangered or threatened plants that may
appear in roadsides
- North northeastern counties
- Arrow-leaf Sweet Coltsfoot
- Southern eastern counties
- Pale Purple Coneflower
- Yellow Giant Hyssop
- Pink Milkwort
- Milwaukee Racine counties
- Axillary Goldenrod
23Arrow-leaf Sweet Coltsfoot Map Northern Wisconsin
- Found in
- Bayfield, Douglas,
- Forest, Oconto counties
24Arrow-leaf Sweet Coltsfoot(Petasites sagittatus)
- Blooms May-June
- Flowers
- Small ½ inch
- White
- Plant
- Large leaves 12 inches
- Arrow shaped
- Grows in wet areas
25Pale Purple Coneflower MapSouthern Wisconsin
- Found in
- Dane, Grant, Green,
- Racine, Rock counties
26Pale Purple Coneflower(Echinacea pallida)
- Blooms June to August
- Flowers
- Drooping
- Purple
- One to a stem
- Plant
- Tall 2 to 3 feet
- Several stems in a cluster
- Grows in full sun dry to moderate moisture
sandy, loam soil
27Giant Yellow Hyssop Map Southern Wisconsin
- Found in
- Columbia, Crawford, Dane
- Grant, Green, Lafayette,
- Racine, Rock, Walworth counties
- Historical in Jefferson
28Giant Yellow Hyssop(Agastache nepetoides)
- Blooms July through October
- Flower
- Cylindrical spikes
- Green-yellow 5-parted
- Plant
- Tall 2 to 5 feet
- Resembles catnip
- Square stem. Mint family
29Pink Milkwort Map Southern Wisconsin
- Found in
- Grant, Green, Rock counties
- Historical or formerly found in Crawford, Dane,
Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha
30Pink Milkwort (Polygala incarnata)
- Blooms early July to mid-September
- Flower
- Pink
- Small spiky cluster ½-1-1/2
- Single stems with distinct bluish-green color
- Plant
- Height 8-24. Often less than 12
- Grows in dry soils
- Nearly extinct in Wisconsin
31Axillary Goldenrod MapMilwaukee Racine counties
32Axillary Goldenrod(Solidago caesia)
- Blooms August to October
- Flower
- Cream to yellow
- Short clusters usually 3-4
- Where leaf joins stem
- Plant
- Upright
- Tall 12"-40
- May grow in ditches if next to woods, semi shaded
33Why help preserve Wisconsin threatened and
endangered plants?
- Promote biodiversity a natural mix of many
different species which provide for a healthy
environment. - Protect historic plants and habitats for future
generations - Preserve plants important to butterflies and
other insects - Preserve plants which may be future sources for
medicines, treatments, etc. - Help maintain a varied and attractive landscape
34What you can do
- Contact your local DNR Transportation Liaison or
Regional Ecologist to find out more - Mark right-of-ways once a species is identified
- Local citizens and groups may be available to
help - Protect by timed mowing or no-mow area
- Alert crews doing brushing, digging, spraying,
and utility work - Comply with administrative rule (NR27) and state
statute - It is illegal to remove, transport, carry away,
cut, root up, sever, injure or destroy a wild
plant on the Wisconsin Endangered and Threatened
Species List on public lands (which includes
public right-of-ways). Section 29.604, Wis.
Stats.
35Resources
- Department of Natural Resources
- Regional Ecologists
- Armund BartzWestcentral Region608.785.9019Owen
BoyleSoutheast Region414.263.8681 - Sarah CarterSouthcentral Region608.275.3276
- Vacant
- Northeast Region
- Ted GostomskiNorthern Region715.635.4153
- Transportation Liaisons
- Get current list by county of responsibility at
- http//dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/DOT_liaison_list.
pdf -
- Online plants information
- Wisconsin DNR, The Natural Heritage Inventory
Working List Rare Vascular Plants - http//www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/
- Click on Threatened and Endangered Species and
then on Vascular Plants. Click on the
scientific name for details. No search function. - UW-Stevens Point Freckman Herbarium
- http//wisplants.uwsp.edu/index.html
- Includes identifying information, photos and maps
with town and range number locations of known
plant populations, and links to other online
resources. This is a general herbarium site
covering 200,000 Wisconsin plants. search for
common or scientific plant name under vascular
plants - USDA-NRCS PLANTS database
- http//plants.usda.gov/index.html
36Credits
- Rare Plants in Wisconsin Right-of-Ways,
PowerPoint presentation, prepared by Lynn Entine,
Senior Editor, Wisconsin Transportation
Information Center, University of
Wisconsin-Madison. http//tic.engr.wisc.edu - Plant location maps (updated Feb. 2006) Craig
Anderson, Wisconsin DNR, Natural Heritage
Inventory Botanist - Coordination Shelly Schaetz, Wisconsin DNR
Transportation Liaison (Northeast) - Photos
- Gentian Thomas G. Barnes _at_ USDA-NRCS PLANTS
Database - Milkweed Robert H. Mohlenbrock _at_ USDA-NRCS
PLANTS Database - Iris Clayton Alway _at_ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
- Aster Kitty Kohout, UW-Stevens Point
- Petunia Plants and roadside (summer) Patrick J.
Robinson, Wisconsin DNR Sign on roadside
Michelle M. Schaetz, Wisconsin DNR - Coltsfoot June M. Dobberpuhl, UW-Stevens Point
- Coneflower James R. Sine, UW-Stevens Point
- Hyssop Kathie and Tom Brock, UW-Stevens Point
- Milkwort Robert H. Mohlenbrock _at_ USDA-NRCS
PLANTS Database - Goldenrod Kitty Kohout, UW-Stevens Point