Bloom Update on the Meadow Lab Wildflower Sod

Last fall, we shared the installation of Meadow Lab’s native wildflower sod on the Greenway near West 140th Street, following a two-year effort to remove invasive Japanese knotweed and restore the slope.

Since then, we’ve been eagerly watching to see how the meadow would respond through its first winter and spring. Throughout the fall, we routinely checked on the newly installed sod, watering when conditions were dry and monitoring how it adapted to its new location.

Then came winter and a lot of crossed fingers. When buds started to open throughout Riverside Park this spring, the sod woke up and sprang into action! It was so exciting to see that the roots had taken and the meadow was coming to life.

May 6, 2026

It was exciting to see the first signs of life returning. Grasses and young perennial plants began greening up, confirming that the sod had successfully rooted into the slope. At this stage, we were encouraged, but still waiting to see how everything would come together.

May 22, 2026

By mid-May, yarrow buds were starting to emerge and bringing us a lot of joy! We also spotted a few unwelcome visitors—Japanese knotweed and hooked hair hops—which were quick to take advantage of the warming weather. Fortunately, we were able to remove them early.

Seeing so little regrowth from the knotweed reinforced our confidence that the two years spent solarizing the site had done exactly what we’d hoped: create the conditions for a healthy native meadow to establish.

May 29, 2026

By the end of May, the first blooms appeared. We had our first flowers of coreopsis, yarrow, and spiderwort! At this point, we started checking in almost daily and each visit seemed to reveal twice as many flowers as the last! We continued to monitor for knotweed and hops to make sure all of the new plants had every advantage and opportunity to thrive.

June 17, 2026

Now, in mid-June, the transformation is remarkable. Monarda, yarrow, coreopsis, and a variety of native grasses are thriving across the slope. Even more encouraging has been the response from wildlife. Bees, flies, moths, and other pollinators are visiting the meadow in impressive numbers which is a dramatic contrast to the knotweed monoculture that occupied this space just a few years ago.

What was once a degraded hillside is becoming a vibrant habitat filled with native plants and pollinator activity, and a welcome sight to all who enjoy our wonderful green way. We’re excited to continue watching the meadow mature throughout the summer and beyond!

Riverside Park Conservancy thanks Con Edison for its generous support of this project!