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Drive through Arkansas in late spring throughout the summer, and you’ll notice splashes of color along the roadsides. The abundance of blooms is likely a testament to the beauty of Operation Wildflower at work. Started in 1983, this Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) program evolved from a national initiative inspired by former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s vision to beautify America’s highways. Her goal was to bring native wildflowers back to our roadways and let nature shine.
Over 40 years later, Operation Wildflower has turned more than a thousand miles of Arkansas highways into living postcards, bursting with pink primroses, golden coreopsis, purple coneflowers and more. It’s a partnership between ARDOT, civic groups, and everyday Arkansans who sponsor plantings and help care for these colorful corridors known as Wildflower Routes.
Today, ARDOT’s Environmental Division oversees the program. They work to protect and encourage native blooms while keeping seasonal maintenance efficient. In many cases, simply adjusting mowing schedules lets native wildflowers reseed themselves naturally. Other areas are actively planted with seeds provided by sponsors. Either way, the result is a more beautiful drive and a healthier roadside ecosystem.
Operation Wildflower covers a huge swath of Arkansas’s highways — about 1,200 miles as of recent counts — stretching across interstates, U.S. highways and scenic state routes. Some favorites include:
- Interstate 40 near Conway, where baby blue eyes pops up each spring
- Interstate 49 in Washington County, known for waves of showy evening primroses
- Highway 7 in the Ouachitas, framed in summer by black-eyed Susans and goldenrod
- Highway 62 around Eureka Springs, where local garden clubs sponsor Ozark primroses
- US Highway 425 in the Delta, ablaze with sunflowers and ironweed in late summer
If you’re curious, keep an eye out for those blue signs marked “Native Wildflower Area,” which protect these spots from being mowed during the flowering season.
Why Native Wildflowers Matter
One of the program’s best features is its emphasis on native plants. Arkansas-native wildflowers, like purple coneflower and evening primrose, are well-adapted to local soil and weather. They thrive with minimal fuss, return year after year and provide vital habitat for pollinators like bees and butterflies. Plus, their deep root systems help prevent erosion and support roadside soil health.
Because native wildflowers are so self-sufficient, ARDOT saves money on repeated mowing and herbicide use. Instead of turfgrass that needs constant upkeep, native wildflowers do much of the work themselves, returning season after season in a brilliant natural cycle.
How to Get Involved
If you have a favorite stretch of highway in mind that could use a dose of color, you can be part of Operation Wildflower. ARDOT welcomes sponsors (which may include a garden club, a civic group or an individual) who want to provide native wildflower seeds for a roadside planting.
Here’s how it works:
- Contact ARDOT’s Environmental Division with your idea.
- Work with them to pick a suitable spot that meets safety and maintenance guidelines.
- Provide the seeds (usually a native wildflower mix).
- ARDOT will help prepare the site and sow the seeds, then add the location to its maintenance schedule.
If you see a naturally blooming patch of wildflowers along a highway, you can also nominate it to be added to the Wildflower Route program. ARDOT staff will inspect it and, if appropriate, designate it with signage and limit mowing to protect the flowers.
A Living Conservation Project
Besides adding to Arkansas’s beauty, these roadside gardens are a powerful conservation tool. Wildflower corridors create important pollinator habitat, helping bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects travel across the landscape. They also link otherwise fragmented habitats, giving pollinators a safe highway of their own.
Beyond their ecological role, these blooms lift our spirits. Whether you’re on your way to work or on a road trip through the Ozarks, a flash of pink primroses or golden black-eyed Susans can brighten your day. Operation Wildflower brings Arkansas’s “Natural State” nickname to life right outside your car window. If you want to see what’s blooming near you, ARDOT’s wildflower brochure and map are a great place to start.
Photo courtesy of Arkansas Department of Transportation
Lady Bird Johnson once said, “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” Thanks to Operation Wildflower, hope is blooming up and down Arkansas highways — one mile, one seed, and one sponsor at a time.
Photos courtesy of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism unless otherwise noted.
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