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Creating a Wild Backyard - Wildflower Meadows

Meadows are communities of non-woody plants consisting of varieties of grasses, legumes, wildflowers and other forbs. Meadows represent a very early stage of vegetative succession, which refers to the change in plant communities over time, from early pioneer plants to mature forests that grow on a piece of land that is cleared of all vegetation. Meadows are not entirely maintenance free, because succession is a natural, inevitable process. Woody vegetation will move in and eventually take over. Meadows need to be mowed periodically to keep the land in this early successional stage.

Meadows, by their nature, consist of a wide diversity of green plant material. No two meadows are alike. Each meadow achieves a unique mixture of plants that are shading other plants or being shaded out, competing for nutrients and water, and competing for space. Meadows can be pre-planned and maintained or left to nature. They can be tall or short.

Why Plant a Meadow?
Meadows are important wildlife habitat for species that depend on them for nesting habitat, food, and shelter. Creating a meadow will help increase the survival of those species. Some birds, like grasshopper sparrows and meadowlarks, can only use meadows and fields for habitat and are declining because fields are disappearing from the landscape. If meadows are allowed to go to seed, a grass meadow can feed other varieties of birds. Butterflies use meadows. The species attracted would depend on the species of plants growing there.

In meadows of clumping grasses and sedges, meadow voles make tunnels among the clumps, which are also used by quail. The tunnels allow them to forage without being seen by predators. Ground-nesting birds will also raise their young there. The presence of meadow voles attracts hawks and even short-eared owls-a rare winter visitor in Maryland. Meadows that include wet areas seem to attract the greatest diversity of wildlife, including frogs and turtles and snakes. Bluebirds use all kinds of meadows and fields for feeding on insects, including agricultural fields. Kestrels, a type of falcon, enjoy meadows where they feed on larger grasshoppers and small mice and like bluebirds they nest in tree cavities near grasslands.

A wildflower meadow in bloom is a beautiful addition to a garden and can attract a multitude of colorful butterflies and many other insects. Milkweeds (Asclepias), among other plants, will be used by many butterflies throughout their life stages. Hummingbirds can even be persuaded to visit when offered cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) or bee balm (Monarda didyma).

Meadows that are a combination of grasses, legumes and wildflowers are the most complicated and the most beneficial to wildlife. They are so beneficial because of the diversity in plant material that they contain. Plant diversity is known to encourage the survival of a great variety of wildlife species. Wildflowers and grasses together will fill much of the requirements of those animals that depend on meadows exclusively.

Assessing a Site for Your Meadow
The first step in establishing a meadow is figuring out where to put it. It can't be in a common travel or play area-it needs undisturbed ground. Making a site for new plants also helps stored seed become established. Certain woody plants and vines found on old fields are persistent and make meadow maintenance difficult. This is because plant seeds will be stored in the soil. Sites that are vegetated, but are not lawn, may require extra care and time for weed control prior to planting. The site chosen should receive morning sun and remain in the sun for at least 6 hours each day. The soil on the site should be well drained but not sandy. Heavy clay soils will not support some wildflower seeds. Sites with standing water for all or part of the year should be treated as wetlands.

When choosing your site, bear in mind that the seeds will have to be watered daily for several weeks while becoming established. There must be a source of water that can be delivered to the site daily. Also, do not choose a site where no vegetation is currently growing or where soil erosion will be a problem. If the soil is not supporting plants now, it won't support your meadow.

Once you have identified the site, determine the boundaries and flag them. There is no size minimum for meadows. The more space you can provide, the better the habitat will be for wildlife.

Weed Control
In a new plant community derived from seed, weed control will be the biggest challenge. A weed is defined as a plant that grows where it is not wanted. The challenging weeds in meadows are those plants that are aggressive and that spread easily and quickly. Thousands of these weed seeds are already in the soil and they can invade when your meadow plants are becoming established.

Short and long-term maintenance of the meadow will be easier if weeds are addressed as part of the planning and site preparation process. Keep in mind that only a small percentage of seed stored in the soil will germinate at one time, so weed control can be a lengthy process. Seeds in the soil are like grains in a time capsule in that they are released for growth in spurts. The more time you spend on controlling them before planting, the more successfully competitive your meadow seeds can be.

Site Preparation
Once you have selected the site, the existing lawn or other vegetation should be removed. Many meadow plants are slow to mature and do not compete well with established plants for water and food.

Existing plants or lawn can be physically removed first, or killed with a herbicide first. The dead plant material should then be removed 7-10 days after the initial herbicide application. Round-Up (TM), or another "systemic glyphosate herbicide" with a short half-life, is recommended. Be sure that the person applying the chemicals is licensed and strictly follows directions.

Herbicides cannot be applied when rain is predicted in the next two to three days or on a windy day. It cannot be done if the plants are wet. Check instructions on glyphosate herbicides if you want to mow the side before spraying. Some of these chemicals work best on plants that are not previously mowed.

Water the bare soil each day over the next two to four weeks to encourage the growth of seed in the stored soil. Use herbicide over the growing plants to kill them. Herbicides like Round-Up will not kill plants in their seed form. After using the herbicide, turn the soil and remove all roots and other plant material. Turn the soil just enough to remove surface plant material. Turning it more will bring deeper stored seeds to the surface, allowing them to germinate. They will then out compete your planted meadow seeds.

Ideally, the area chosen for the meadow should be treated a number of times in this way. However, this is not always practical because of your time frame. As the dead plant material is removed, the soil should be worked thoroughly and the bed raked smooth. A good planting bed will be smooth and have no large clumps of soil.

Fertilizer and lime are not recommended. Most meadow plants do well in naturally acidic soils and can thrive on the existing nutrients in the soil. Fertilizer usually gives weed seeds more advantage over the meadow plants.

Choosing Plant Mixes
The plants you choose for your meadow depend to some degree on what you want it to accomplish. Work with a reputable seed distributor to put together seed mixes that are known to be compatible.

Regardless of your choice of plants, you may want to include legumes in the mix. Legumes will help create a natural source of nitrogen to feed the other plants. Legumes are plants that live symbiotically with a type of soil bacteria that produces nitrogen. Nitrogen in the soil provides the fertilizer or food for meadow grasses. Legumes and wildflowers should be chosen with care to avoid species that are known to be aggressive and invasive, such as clover. The more aggressive species will spread and take over the meadow more quickly than other plants. There are certain aggressive species offered for sale, including purple loosestrife and Phragmites, a tall grass commonly seen in wet ditches and other moist areas. These should never deliberately be planted.

Cheaper seeds and brands from national or regional distributors could have a large percentage of seed that is not viable-it has been in storage too long. This means less seed will germinate. Also, pre-mixed blends of seeds often contain seeds that have incompatible environmental requirements. The best way to buy seeds for your meadow is to use a reputable, specialized source, which can help put together a mix that is fresh and contains varieties of plants that work well together and in the environment you can provide. Follow the seeding rate recommended by the nursery that prepared your mix. When ordering seed, be sure to ask for "Pure Live Seed".

Maryland Meadow Plants

Bee Balm  Monarda didyma
Black-eyed Susan  Rudbeckia hirta
Butterflyweed  Asclepias tuberosa
New England Aster  Aster novae-angliae
Purple Coneflower  Echinacea purpurea
Tickseed Sunflower  Coreopsis tinctoria
Joe Pyeweed  Eupatorium dubium
Woodland Sunflower  Helianthus divancatus
Cardinal Flower  Lobelia cardinalis
Woodland Blue Phlox  Phlox aricata
New York Ironweed  Vernonia noveboracensis
Tall Meadow Rue Thalictrum polygamun
Common Milkweed  Ascepias syriaca

For mixes with warm-season grasses, the Department of Natural Resource recommends the following seeding rate/acre in pounds of pure live seed:

• Upland/Dry Soils-Grasses: 3 lbs. Indian Grass, 2 lbs. Big bluestem, 1 lb. Little bluestem with your choice of legumes and forbs.

• Lowland/Moist Soils-Grasses: 3 lbs Big bluestem, 2 lbs. Indian Grass, 1 lb. Switchgrass with your choice of legumes and forbs.

Choose plants based on benefit to desired wildlife or butterflies, compatibility with your environment, compatibility with each other, and aesthetics. Another consideration is when the flowers bloom during the year. Various species bloom in the spring, summer and fall. You may consider choosing flowers that bloom during certain seasons or choose a mix that will ensure blooms throughout the growing season.

For Additional Information, Contact:
 
 Wild Acres Program
 Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service
 Attn:  Marilyn Mause
 Gwynnbrook WMA
 3740 Gwynnbrook Ave
 Owings Mills MD 21117
 410-356-0941
 E-Mail: customerservice@dnr.state.md.us