Researchers Test Prairie Willows Along Interstate

A University of Minnesota doctoral student and the state transportation department are trialing native willows in harsh roadside soil near Franklin Avenue.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Botany

Young willow saplings with narrow silver-green leaves growing from compacted soil on a highway embankment beside a pale guardrail under overcast daylight. — Researchers at the University of Minnesota and state transportation officials are testing whether native prairie willows can survive salty, trash-strewn soil along Interstate 94 in Minneapolis. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Minnesota Department of Transportation and University of Minnesota doctoral student Hazel Schrader are testing whether prairie willows can grow on the south side of Interstate 94 near Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. The site's compacted, trash-strewn soil and elevated sodium and chloride levels make it a difficult growing environment.

Why it matters

Roadside plantings must survive heavy traffic, road salt, drought and extreme cold, conditions that many plants cannot tolerate. If the willows succeed, they could help green up road medians and shoulders in other challenging landscapes across the state.

The field trial compares a standard prairie willow reaching up to 10 feet with a dwarf variety reaching 1 to 3 feet, both sourced from the USDA North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station at Iowa State University. Survival and growth at the highway site remain unknown as the experiment runs over the next couple of years.

The players

Minnesota Department of Transportation

The state agency responsible for Minnesota's highways, which partnered with Schrader on the roadside willow research project.

Hazel Schrader

A University of Minnesota doctoral student in horticulture leading the prairie willow experiment along Interstate 94.

The details

Schrader is growing two varieties of prairie willows from the USDA seed station at Iowa State University in soil near Interstate 94 that is compacted, littered with trash and high in sodium and chloride. The site also faces bitter winter cold and summer heat and drought.

Over the next couple of years: Schrader carries out the prairie willow experiment along Interstate 94.

Seasonal Patterns

Using native willows from the USDA North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, the project tests whether plant material bred for regional climates can tolerate the Upper Midwest's cold winters and summer droughts along highway corridors. The trial adds a roadside test case to the station's collections, which are normally studied in agricultural and conservation settings.

Drivers along Interstate 94 near Franklin Avenue will see the test plantings as the study progresses. Residents interested in native roadside plantings can follow updates on how the willows perform in the harsh conditions.

The takeaway

Plants that survive roadside stress could offer a practical, low-maintenance way to green up highway edges. Watching how these willows fare over the next few years will show whether native species can handle the job.