Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund Publications

The Living Roadway Trust Fund has worked with partners throughout the country to develop materials that help audiences better understand various aspects of integrated roadside vegetation management.

All publications are available at no charge. Hard copies can be ordered through the online ordering system below.

*** All publication orders under 10 items will be mailed free of charge. Larger orders will need to be picked up at the Iowa Department of Transportation's Headquarters - 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa.

To order hard copies:

1) Select a quantity from the dropdown for each publication you would like to receive.

2) Confirm all quantities are correct.

3) Provide your order delivery information.

4) Click the “Submit Order” button to complete the process.

*** Download the PDF versions by clicking the publication title links or images below. ***

Iowa Trees and Shrubs

Trees and other woody plants like shrubs are essential to our lives. Our landscape takes care of us when we accommodate it, select appropriate plants, and maintain those plantings as needed. Whether native to the landscape or naturalized (i.e. not native, but non-invasive), trees can improve our environment.

Guidebook

Iowa Wetland Seedling Guide

This guide is intended to help natural resource professionals, students, and the general public identify plants, their seeds, and seedlings common to wetlands in Iowa. It includes drawings, photographs, and written descriptions specific to seedlings. includes written descriptions, seed and seeding photos, and drawings of mature plants.

Guidebook

Iowa's Living Roadway Wetland Plant Profiler

Providing an overview of the Iowa DOT’s roadside management programs. This 132-page book includes descriptions of landscape designs and planting styles used along Iowa’s highway rights-of-way, as well as detailed profiles of selected plant species. This publication is no longer being produced and is only available by download. Click the link above to view and download the PDF.”

Guidebook

Pollinators in Iowa - A Guide to Bees, Butterflies, Moths, and Beneficial Insects

Explains the importance of pollinators, provides guidance on identifying common pollinator groups, features profiles of species found in Iowa, and offers practical tips for creating pollinator-friendly environments.

Guidebook

Prairie Seedling and Seeding Evaluation Guide

This easy-to-read guide helps identify seedlings of more than 50 of the most commonly seeded tallgrass prairie plants, as well as common agricultural weeds.

Guidebook

The World Beneath Our Feet

This booklet describes the processes that have created our soils and explains how a system of living roots and organisms which can be found in native plant communities are be beneficial when used along roadside rights-of-way.

Guidebook

Discovering Iowa's Roadside Flowering Plants and Grasses

A vintage map-fold brochure that highlights some common native and non-native plants commonly found in Iowa’s roadsides.This publication is no longer being produced, and is only available by download. Click the link above to view and download the PDF.

Poster

Jewels of the Prairie 7-Poster Set

Includes Bloom Dates, Bloom Heights, Dry Prairie, Mesic Prairie, Oak Savanna, Roots, and Wet Prairie. Features front and back images. Click the title or image above to download all posters (PDF) in a single compressed ZIP file.

Poster Set

Jewels of the Prairie - Blooming Dates

A visual representation of blooming dates (April–September) for a variety of Iowa native prairie plants and flowers, several of which are found in Iowa roadsides. Features front and back images. Click the title or image above to download the PDF versions (zip file).

Poster

Jewels of the Prairie - Blooming Heights

A visual representation of blooming heights for several Iowa native prairie species found along Iowa roadsides. Heights can vary with soil type, sunlight, weather conditions, and competition from other plants. Features front and back images. Click the title or image above to download the PDF versions (zip file).

Poster

Jewels of the Prairie - Dry Prairie

Illustrating Iowa’s resilient plants and animals that thrive in extreme heat and drought conditions. In Iowa, this type of Prairie is usually found in upland areas, especially at the top of south and west-facing slopes. Features front and back images. Click the title or image above to download the PDF versions (zip file).

Poster

Jewels of the Prairie - Mesic Prairie

Illustrating the rich plant and animal communities flourishing in Iowa's mesic (moderately moist) prairies. Ideal for agriculture, nearly all were quickly converted to cropland. Includes front and back images. Click the title or image above to download the PDF versions (zip file).

Poster

Jewels of the Prairie - Oak Savannas

Savannas are known for their scattered trees - often large, wide-crowned oaks - that tower above a prairie groundcover. These "oak openings" were often described by early settlers as "park-like" or "orchard-like". Features front and back images. Click the title or image above to download the PDF versions (zip file).

Poster

Jewels of the Prairie - Roots

What is a root anyway? The next time you're gazing at a stand of tallgrass prairie you might consider that you're not getting the whole picture. You are actually only seeing less than one third of each plant in front of you. Features front and back images. Click the title or image above to download the PDF versions (zip file).

Poster

Jewels of the Prairie - Wet Prairies

Iowa's original prairie landscape included many low, poorly drained areas. When these occurred in the open, they were dominated by grasses and sedges (grass-like plants) and were sometimes called "prairie swales". Features front and back images. Click the title or image above to download the PDF versions (zip file).

Poster

Pollinator Poster Series - Beneficial Insects

The fourth poster in our Pollinators series shows how insects play critical roles in addition to pollination by providing pest control as predators or parasitoids for nature and agriculture, while describing ways that we can live with and support them in providing value to Iowa’s roadside habitats.

Poster

Pollinator Poster Series - Butterflies & Moths

The third poster in our Pollinators series describes the differences between butterflies and moths, the stages of their life cycles, their dependence upon native plant material for their food sources as they provide pollination services, and why Iowa’s roadside habitats are important for their survival.

Poster

Pollinator Poster Series - Monarchs & Milkweed

The first poster in our Pollinators Series explains the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, its dependence upon milkweed species and why Iowa’s roadside habitats are important for their survival.

Poster

Roadsides of Opportunities

This poster depicts in a colorful mosaic many of the native plants and the animals that call them home throughout Iowa’s roadsides habitats.

Poster

Out of the Mud Tallgrass Revival Online Video

The YouTube version of "Out of the Mud Tallgrass Revival" (02:05:47).

Video

Voices of the Prairie Audio

The YouTube version of "Voices of the Prairie Audio" (00:02:52).

Video