Sept. 17, 2003

For more information contact:
Mark Masteller
515-239-1424
mark.masteller@dot.state.ia.us

Iowa DOT publication blooming with information

AMES, Iowa –  You can almost smell the sweet aromas rising from the pages of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s new publication, “Iowa’s Living Roadway-plant profiler.”

“Iowans, as well as out-of-state travelers, are very curious about the different plants found along our roadsides.  Throughout the year, the Iowa DOT receives numerous inquires seeking information about the identities of certain species,” said the DOT’s Chief Landscape Architect Mark Masteller. 

“This guide serves as an excellent resource for helping to identify plants native to Iowa, most of which are more likely to flourish in Midwest backyards,” said Masteller. 

The spiral-bound, 132-page educational tool is a valuable guide to understanding the Iowa Department of Transportation’s roadside management programs.  It offers descriptions of various landscape designs or planting styles used within or adjacent to Iowa’s highway rights-of-way, as well as various plant profiles. 

In addition, it helps readers learn more about the value of plants and their contribution to our environment and society. Beyond the obvious aesthetic value, native plants provide habitat and a food source for wildlife, serve as a living snow fence, reduce the need for roadside mowing and use of herbicides, prevent erosion, and assist with motorist safety by preventing the drowsiness sometimes associated with a monotonous landscape.

Glovebox-sized and beautifully illustrated, this guide includes photographs and descriptions of 41 wildflower and native grass species, 33 trees and 16 shrubs, all of which are used by the DOT’s roadside management program. 

Plant descriptions include each plant’s common and Latin names, botanical family, physical characteristics, bloom period, natural habitats, and interesting trivia tidbits. 

Supplies of the printed version of “Iowa’s Living Roadway” are limited. Until exhausted, single copies may be ordered by Iowa residents at no charge online at the Iowa DOT’s Web site at www.dot.state.ia.us.  Allow four to six weeks for delivery.

An electronic version of this publication may be viewed and printed from the DOT’s Web site. Printed copies will also be provided to numerous libraries throughout the state.