Rare Plants
in Wisconsin Right-of-ways
Presentation prepared by:
Wisconsin Transportation Information Center-LTAP
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Right-of-ways –
A resource for rare plants
• Help locate and protect endangered and
threatened Wisconsin plants
• Watch for them during right-of-way work:
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Mowing
Brushing
Spraying
Utility projects
Plants found in many
counties
Cream Gentian
Purple Milkweed
Cream 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
Cream Gentian (or Yellowish Gentian)
(Gentiana alba)
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Blooms August-September
Flower
– Cream-colored – 1- ¼”
– Tube shape with small opening
at top
– Clusters of many flowers
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Plant
– Upright – 1 to 3 feet tall
– Sturdy stems
– Usually not branched
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Grows in
– Varied soil and moisture
conditions
– Sometimes found in roadside
ditches and railroad rights-ofways
Cream Gentian patch
Purple Milkweed Map
Found in:
• Crawford, Dane, Grant,
Iowa, Kenosha,
Lafayette,
• Racine, Rock, Sauk,
Walworth,
• Waukesha, Waushara, &
counties
Historical in Jefferson, Milwaukee,
Washington, Winnebago
Purple 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
Purple Milkweed
Other important plants and their
regions
Dwarf Lake Iris
Forked Aster
Hairy Wild Petunia
Dwarf Lake Iris Map
Found in
• Door & Brown
counties
Formerly in Milwaukee County
Dwarf Lake Iris
(Iris lacustris)
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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
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Flower
– Blue-purple (a few white)
– 3” diameter
– 3” off the ground
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Found in ditches with
– Partial or filtered sun
– Shallow soils (alkaline)
– Near white cedars
Dwarf Lake Iris patch
Forked Aster Map
Eastern & Southeastern Wisconsin
Found in:
• Fond du Lac, Milwaukee,
Ozaukee,
• Racine, Rock,
Sheboygan,
• Walworth, Washington,
Waukesha
Formerly in Kewaunee & Winnebago
Forked 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.
Forked Aster
Hairy Wild Petunia Map
Southern Wisconsin
Found in:
• Crawford, Dane, Grant,
Outagamie,
• Rock, & Winnebago
counties
Historical in Walworth
Hairy 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
Hairy Wild Petunia
Discovered 2005
Outagamie County roadside
Protected
No-mow area
• Signs outline
protected area
• Use general term:
“Native Plants”
• Exact location not
publicized
Other 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
Arrow-leaf Sweet Coltsfoot Map
Northern Wisconsin
Found in:
• Bayfield, Douglas,
• Forest, & Oconto
counties
Arrow-leaf Sweet Coltsfoot
(Petasites sagittatus)
• Blooms May-June
• Flowers
– Small: ½ inch
– White
• Plant
– Large leaves: 12
inches
– Arrow shaped
• Grows in wet areas
Pale Purple Coneflower Map
Southern Wisconsin
Found in:
• Dane, Grant, Green,
• Racine, & Rock
counties
Pale 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
Giant Yellow Hyssop Map
Southern Wisconsin
Found in:
• Columbia, Crawford,
Dane
• Grant, Green, Lafayette,
• Racine, Rock, & Walworth
counties
Historical in Jefferson
Giant 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
Pink Milkwort Map
Southern Wisconsin
Found in:
• Grant, Green, & Rock
counties
Historical or formerly found in Crawford,
Dane, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha
Pink Milkwort
(Polygala incarnata)
Blooms early July to midSeptember
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
Axillary Goldenrod Map
Milwaukee & Racine counties
Axillary 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
Why 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
What 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.
Resources
Department of Natural Resources
Regional Ecologists
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Armund Bartz
Westcentral Region
608.785.9019
Owen Boyle
Southeast Region
414.263.8681
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Sarah Carter
Southcentral Region
608.275.3276
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[Vacant]
Northeast Region
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Ted Gostomski
Northern Region
715.635.4153
Transportation Liaisons
Get current list by county of responsibility at:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/DOT_liaison_
list.pdf
Online plants information
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Wisconsin DNR, The Natural Heritage
Inventory Working List: Rare Vascular Plants
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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
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http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/index.html
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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
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http://plants.usda.gov/index.html
Credits
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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)
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Photos:
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Gentian: Thomas G. Barnes @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Milkweed: Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Iris: Clayton Alway @ 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 @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Goldenrod: Kitty Kohout, UW-Stevens Point