Winona Mayor Jerry Flowers (left), State Sen. Lydia Chassaniol (right), and others meet to select sites for wildflower plantings.

In a year or two, new wildflower plantings along U.S. 82 between Carrollton to Kilmichael will give citizens a more beautiful drive. Through the Wildflower Trails of Mississippi, Keep Mississippi Beautiful (KMB) is working with local leaders to plant wildflowers along this 22-mile corridor in Mississippi.

KMB launched Wildflower Trails of Mississippi in 2015, and since then, wildflower plantings are thriving across the state – from the Coast to Crystal Springs.

“Wildflowers are native, meaning they are conditioned to thrive here and are resistant against drought and pests,” said Sarah Kountouris, KMB Executive Director. “They do wonderful things for our landscape, such as reduce erosion and provide much-needed habitat for pollinators like bees and butterflies as well as bobwhite quail. Plus, they’re beautiful.”

A wildflower planting along U.S. 51 in Crystal Springs. The goal is to have these new plantings bloom like these.

KMB is working with city officials in Carrollton, Winona and Kilmichael to plant wildflowers in the median along the U.S. 82, a major corridor across Mississippi. The plantings will include Black-eyed Susans, Plains Coreopsis, Purple Coneflower and a variety of native grasses. KMB worked closely with Mississippi State University Extension Service to select ideal plants for Mississippi roadways.

KMB plans to plant in the spring, meaning blooms as soon as next summer. As the plantings flourish, KMB expects more blooms over time.

Learn more about Wildflower Trails of Mississippi. Also, please let us know what type of wildflowers you are seeing in your area by becoming one of our Wildflower Watchers.