Good Shepherd's Pollinator Prairie: A Blooming Vision For Creation Care

Be the reason your community stays informed—give to local journalism now! DECORAH — Since 2023, the Pollinator Prairie at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 701 Iowa Ave., Decorah, has been a work in progress. The area, roughly 35 feet by 135 feet on the southeast side of the Education and Fellowship wing of the building, was sprayed to kill weeds and hand-seeded with 80% wildflowers and 20% short grasses. Tall grasses and invasive prairie plants, such as cup plant, Canada goldenrod and oxeye sunflower, were not planted to maintain overall height and variety. The Pollinator Prairie requires no carbon usage as it is no-mow, and it provides plants for butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators, as well as a natural buffer for the nearby condominiums. The prairie bloomed extensively this spring and summer, partly because it is maturing and partly due to welcome rains. It will take five years before all the seeds have germinated. During that time, the prairie will be mowed short each fall using Good Shepherd's carbon-free EGO mowers. After five years it will be burned to stimulate growth and seed germination, allowing all to enjoy its full bounty. The project was created and implemented by Good Shepherd members Jim and Liz Fritz through their Mission Green LLC company. Member Charilyn Hover also made a significant donation to the project. The Pollinator Prairie is also used as a cutting garden to provide bouquets for use on the altar and in the Fellowship Hall at Good Shepherd. Plant varieties in the Pollinator Prairie include: Grasses — Little bluestem and sideoats grama (both about 3 feet tall). Wildflowers — Golden Alexanders, alum root, anise hyssop, upland white aster, New England aster, foxglove beardtongue, large-flowered beardtongue, black-eyed Susan, dense blazing star, prairie blazing star, royal catchfly, purple prairie clover, lance-leaf coreopsis, echinacea (pale purple coneflower, purple coneflower, yellow coneflower, orange coneflower), cream gentian, Riddell's goldenrod, showy goldenrod, ironweed, leadplant, great blue lobelia, rattlesnake master, butterfly milkweed, rose milkweed, common milkweed, dotted mint, nodding onion, evening primrose, rosinweed, prairie phlox, prairie sage, prairie smoke, Maryland senna, western sunflower, ox-eye sunflower, Ohio spiderwort, Canada milk vetch, wild bergamot, wild columbine, wild geranium, wild blue indigo, wild white indigo, wild lupine, wild petunia, wild quinine and yarrow. Unlock a world of knowledge! Sign up for free DecorahNews.com newsletters and receive local news, local events and everything that is happening in and around Decorah.