SURVIVAL AND FLOWERING OF WILDFLOWERS/NATIVE PLANTS IN BUFFALOGRASS

Abstract

Wildflowers/native plants are increasingly being used in landscapes, especially in low maintenance areas. Buffalograss is also receiving attention as a low maintenance grass. Establishing wildflowers in buffalograss would be useful in sites where mowing occurred only once in the fall, such as with minimeadows. Four experiments were conducted to study the establishment of wildflowers in buffalograss. Survival of wildflowers after one year was 88% when wildflowers were planted as greenhouse grown transplants and buffalograss plugged in 2 weeks later, 67% when one-year-old field grown wildflowers were transplanted into buffalograss plugged at the same time and 48% when greenhouse grown wildflowers were transplanted into established buffalograss. Establishment of wildflowers overseeded into established buffalograss sod was very low. There were significant differences in wildflower survival within each study. Species which performed well in buffalograss included Leadplant, Blue Fax, Purple Prairie Clover, Little Bluestem and Stiff Goldenrod.