I live in a 4-5 growing zone about on the latitude of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Our township recently redid our blacktop road that had been serving pretty well for 50 years or so. We have a very rural setting and not too much traffic. In the past the shoulders and road ditches have grown up with basically natural grass and some flowers and weeds. The project took all of that out and now as a wonderful late fall is coming to a close, finally did the shoulder areas with a surprisingly good material, not just gravel, but a mix with soil that looks promising.
I don't have a decade to wait to let nature take her course and grow in whatever comes over time.
I'd like to seed my stretch of the road with something that will grow in relatively rapidly, have as good of a root system to resist erosion when we go get a high rain rate, and yet be a friendly plant.
Alfalfa comes to mind with the roots and nitrogen fixing tendency, but grows relatively high. Clovers have been suggested and the bees would be excited. Red and white have been in patches along the road ditch so I know it will grow.
Regular grass seed is a possibility, but Kentucky Blue grass and others may grow too high and not have much to offer the bees.
Any farmers/horticulturists/gardeners out there would might suggest something for me to try? Dale
