Prairie Maintenance - Burning FAQ's

• When is the best time to burn?
• Can the whole area be burned at once?
• What species should be protected from a burn?

When is the best time to burn?

Mesic and Wet Prairies

Mid-spring at the beginning of the third or fourth growing season.

Dry Prairies

Late fall, After most of the native plants have gone dormant but when the non-native cool season grasses are still active.

Why late fall?

Burning a dry prairie in spring would harm the early-blooming flowers. Early blooming flowers are dormant in fall and therefore unharmed by a fall burn.

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Can the whole area be burned at once?

Yes, but rotational burning (burning only 1/3 to 1/2 of your prairie on an annual basis) may be better because:

• Increases the landscape interest and diversity of habitat for wildlife (vegetation will respond differently if burned or left unburned).
• Leaving unburned sections preserves overwintering butterfly, moth, and other invertebrate pupae and eggs.
• Variation in management prevents any given species from gaining overall dominance in the planting, thus maximizing species diversity.

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What species should be protected from a burn?

Non-prairie species that are not adapted to fire within your prairie planting, such as:

• Conifers
• Ornamental trees and shrubs
• Daffodils and other bulbs

Early-blooming prairie flowers (if you're burning in spring):

• Shootingstar - Dodecatheon meadia
• Early Buttercup - Ranunculus fascicularis
• Prairie Buttercup - Ranunculus rhomboideus
• Pasque Flower - Anemone patens
• Prairie Smoke - Geum triflorum
• Birdsfoot Violet - Viola pedata
• Bi-colored Birdsfoot Violet - Viola pedata bi-colored
• Columbine - Aquilegia canadensis
• Wild Geranium - Geranium maculatum

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About issues with this website, please contact Ann Schmidt anns@prairienursery.com