The use of native plants for revegetation along West Virginia highways

The West Virginia Division of Highways is required to develop seeding mixtures comprised of native plants for revegetating highway corridors and thereby reducing the potential for introduction of non-native species along roads. The objectives of this project were to compare establishment and growth of plants in five different seed mixtures and two fertilizer treatments, to develop surface treatments to enhance the establishment of native plants along highways, and correlate native species establishment to soil physical and chemical properties. Fertilizer was not found to increase the cover of the seeded natives, but did increase total cover. The seeded natives were not found to be able to establish through the thick cover contributed by the more aggressive species typically used for revegetation by the Division of Highways. Removing the vegetation by tilling or herbicide did allow the natives to become established. However, the seeded natives did not contribute any significant cover until the second and third growing season.