The US mows roughly 12 million acres of roadside every year. That's larger than the state of Maryland, maintained as mowed grass that feeds almost nothing, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
North Carolina figured out a better use for it in 1985. What started as 12 experimental acres of native wildflowers planted along roadsides has grown to 1,500 managed acres across the state, saving an estimated $200,000 a year in mowing costs while providing habitat for pollinators, birds, and the beneficial insects that control crop pests on nearby farms.
A 2024 BioScience review found something surprising to many: a mown safety strip immediately adjacent to the pavement, with native wildflowers planted in the wider verge beyond it, actually reduces insect mortality by keeping pollinators on one side of the road rather than crossing it.
12 million acres is an enormous amount of potential habitat that currently does almost nothing. The fix isn't complicated. It's mostly just stopping the mower in the right places.
Studies:
Doi 10.1093/biosci/biad111
Doi 10.1007/s10841-018-0051-2