Preserving Bloomington's prairies

Naturally beautiful landscapes

At first glance, a prairie may appear to be just a hodgepodge of tall grasses and weeds, but in reality, it is anything but. According to Assistant Maintenance Superintendent Paul Edwardson, the native grasses found in prairies control many unwanted weeds from spilling onto city turf areas.

Wildflowers are abundant in prairies, such as giant hyssops, yellow coneflowers, bush clovers and Black-Eyed Susans. Birds and butterflies are drawn to them. Some plants are small, while others may grow to six feet high. Prairies provide food and habitat for a wide variety of insects and wildlife. They're also far easier to maintain than conventional turf areas. Prairies don't require as much constant labor or weed control, equipment fuel or fertilizer, which translates to less money and energy used. This also means that prairies are naturally better for the environment.

"As the active use of our parks grows, so does the demand for better maintenance," Edwardson said. "If we can cultivate these naturalized prairie areas, we will have more time and resources to devote to other areas."

These are all reasons why, for the past 15 years, the City has been working to protect and restore Bloomington's 27 naturalized prairie areas.

City prairies are maintained through a controlled burning process, which takes place every two four years. The burning reduces undesirable weeds such as buckthorn and gives wildflower seedlings more room to regenerate. The weather conditions have to be just right before a burn by experienced professionals can take place. Prairies may also be mowed if burning is not possible.

"We burn them down to keep them up," Edwardson said. "This way the native wildflowers and grasses aren't competing with noxious weeds."

For more information, contact:

Paul Edwardson, Assistant Maintenance Superintendent
1700 W. 98th Street
PH: 952-563-8762
FAX: 952-563-4770
E-mail: pedwardson@ci.bloomington.mn.us