Lady Bird Johnson's Legacy and the Law of Unintended Consequences

FROM THE 1960s until her death this week, Lady Bird Johnson devoted herself to the "beautification" of American roadways by the planting of flowers -- millions of them, coast to coast.

Nowhere is the impact seen more prominently than in her home state of Texas: with roughly 75,000 miles of roads and the native influence of its homegrown advocate for beautification, the Lone Star State boasts the nation's most extensive array of roadside flower beds.

In spite of the arid Texas climate, the plantings championed by Lady Bird have flourished over the years, and are now mature, perennial fields. These long established beds are now so prolific that they have a measurable ecological impact on the environment of Texas. This impact goes beyond flora per se; it also extends to insects, birds and animals, even air quality and climate.

While the outcome has been undeniably positive in aesthetic terms, it is nearly certain that there have been additional -- unintentional -- results. As is often the case when humans attempt to alter nature, there are almost always unforeseen consequences.

Consider for example the genetic makeup of flower strains favored by Lady Bird, such as the Indian Paintbrush: once a wildflower sparsely dotting the Texas landscape, it now grows in dense concentrations that may have altered the characteristics of its seed dispersion. For example, constant wind from traffic may have increased or lightened the optimal weight of seeds. Similarly, it is highly likely that broad fields of flowers attract more bees than sparse scatterings of wildflowers, causing genetic changes in pollenation traits over decades.

To be sure, thanks to Lady Bird, most Texans must enjoy the improved appearance of its roadways -- and probably benefit from better air, happier bees and other fringe benefits as well. At the same time, it seems equally possible that some flower strains may evolve weaker due to an easier reproductive environment, that wild bees may not grow as hardy when there is such as ready supply of flower nectar... or other unexpected results.

I am merely speculating about possible consequences here, rather than proposing that the specific results above are scientific facts. What I do know is that history shows time and time again that "It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature," since our efforts to improve her invariably produce surprises, good and bad.

Personally, I feel that Lady Bird Johnson deserves the sincere gratitude and affection of all Americans for her commitment to the beauty of our nation, of which roads are a quintessentially characteristic feature. Sometimes a seemingly simple act like planting a flower can rival more massive public works in improving the quality of life.Yet it's always interesting to ponder whether there are unintended consequences in the process.

Most of all, I hope that the former First Lady rests in peace, having left her nation a better place to live.