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 WETLAND
GRASSES AND NATIVE, NON-GRASS SPECIES FOR SHORELINE STABILIZATION, EROSION,
CONTROL, AND MITIGATIONS: |
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| Blue
Wood Sedge |
Carex
glaucodea |
Lluxuriant, pleated, wide blades with a blue tint to them. Must grow in
shade and moist, well- drained soil; bunch form. Makes wheatlike heads
to 15 inches in spring, fills faster than liriope, cool-season, hardy
to Zone 6. |
Photo
available soon. |
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| Canada
Wildrye |
Elymus
canadensis var. canadensis |
A
cool-season bunchgrass, with delicate, wheatlike heads produced to 3.5
feet in early summer. Ages to tan, stays upright for months thereafter.
Two forms: "Upright" is stiffly upright and tolerates deep shade to full
sun. Hardy to Zone 4, shady to sunny shorelines, occasional temporary
flooding. Can be prolific from seeds. |
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| Inland
Seaoats |
Chasmanthium
latifolium |
A warm-season bunchgrass from 1" rhizomes with lax, tropical foliage topped
by hanging bangles. Must grow in shade or becomes burned, bleached. To
3 feet tall, hardy to zone 4, becomes sandy in winter. Shady shorelines,
never feet wet, occasional flooding OK. Prolific from seeds. |
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| Broomsedge
Bluestem |
Andropogon
virginicus |
Excellent orange winter color. Tight bunch, green in summer, full sun,
to 4 feet tall; moist, well-drained soil. Never feet wet. Warm-season,
hardy to Zone 5, mow in winter. Can be prolific from seeds. |
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| Bushy
Bluestem |
Andropogon
glomeratus |
Stout, cinnamon stems to 5 feet for striking winter color. Green in summer,
warm-season bunchgrass, likes moist, well-drained soils near water, occasional
or regular feet wet. Full sun, hardy to Zone 5, mow in winter. Very prolific
from seeds along shorelines. |
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| Clubhead
Cutgrass |
Leersia
hexandra |
A
warm-season, rhizomatous grass with a sprawling nature. It favors full
sun and shallow water to shoreline habitats, forming a thick, dense mat
of foliage and rhizomes. This is excellent wetland, shoreline, erosion
control without the height or rank nature of larger wetland grasses. Height
to 2 feet, spreads rapidly also by seeds, irrigation important in landscapes,
but tolerant of dry-downs on shorelines. Seeds are an important food source
for wetland granivores. Important for wetland mitigation projects. |
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| Common
Reed |
Phragmites
australis |
A
warm-season, aggressively rhizomatous wetland grass which invades drier
surrounding areas readily, and moves into 1.5 feet of water. 'Shoreline'
cv. is especially aggressive, even growing into shade and uphill. Stems
are soft, easily cut, unlike Arundo donax. Excellent control on lakeshores
against wave erosion, shelter for spawn and other wildlife. Purple tassels
become white flags in winter. Worldwide distribution. Does not block waterways.
Height to 12 feet, graceful in wind. Full to part sun. |
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| Eastern
Gamagrass |
Trypsacum
dactyloides |
A warm-season bunchgrass with short rhizomes resembling caterpillars.
Deep, thick roots suited to heavy, moist clays. Excellent foliage production
plus roots gives control against washout in waterways. Dwarf form gets
to 5 feet, usually smaller. Full form gets to 7 feet. Hardy to Zone 5,
foliage resembles a fountain, "winter cinnamon" form is cinnamon on foliage
in winter. Full to part-sun,shoreline stabilization, occasional flooding
tolerated. Can be prolific from seeds. |
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| Lindheimer
Muhly |
Muhlenbergia
lindheimeri |
A
warm-season bunchgrass of effusive, arching, blue-green foliage to 3 feet
tall, topped by a halo of feathery heads in fall to 6 feet. Enjoys moist,
heavy clay soils and full sun to light shade. Naturally occurring in Hill
Country floodplains, occasional flooding OK. Hardy to zone 7. |
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| Longspike
Silver Bluestem |
Bothriochloa
saccharoides var. longipaniculata |
A
warm-season bunchgrass with semi-prostrate culm bases becoming ascending.
Produces many fluffy, white heads from May-frost. Prolific from seeds.
Likes full sun and well-drained, moist soils, tolerates occasional temporary
flooding. Hardy to zone 7. Height to 4 feet. |
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| Longspike
Tridens |
Tridens
strictus |
A
warm-season bunchgrass producing elongated, golden heads in late summer,
this grass needs occasional irrigation and full sun. It reaches 3.5 feet
in height and is hardy to zone 7. It turns golden from the top down in
the fall, remaining a strong, vertical presence in the landscape through
winter. |
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| Lowland
Switchgrass |
Panicum
virgatum |
A warm-season bunchgrass with short rhizomes, forming a tall (to 8 feet),
cascading bunch with hanging, luxuriant foliage topped by large, delicate,
open panicles. Hardy to zone 4, needs full sun and moist to wet soil near
water. Excellent control against washout. Foliage color ranges from silver-blue
to intense green in summer, sandy to intensely cinnamon in winter. Head
color varies from that of foliage to purple and even red. Character of
the plant endures during winter after foliage fades. |
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| Prairie
Cordgrass |
Spartina
pectinata |
A warm-season, aggressively rhizomatous, freshwater species with some
salt-tolerance. New rhizomes have dagger points, making a colony difficult
for beavers to burrow into, protection for dams and other streamside areas.
Extensive colonies offer excellent washout protection, growing streamside
into 1 foot of water and tolerating both extensive temporary flooding
and occasional droughts. Foliage ascending-arching, to 5 feet,topped by
heads resembling compact combs. Leaf edges serrated, but tough leaves
useful for weaving. Heavy, moist to wet soils. Hardy to zone 5. |
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| Coastal
Cordgrass |
Spartina
spartinae |
A
warm-season bunchgrass with rolled, sharp-pointed leaves to 3 feet tall
topped by dense spikes. Excellent salt tolerance. Full sun to part shade,
moist to wet soils. Tolerates regular flooding. Foliage may purple during
winter. Hardy to zone 7+. |
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| Silver
Plumegrass |
Saccharum
alopecuroideum |
A
warm-season bunchgrass notable for extreme height (to 12 feet or more)
in wet soils, topped in fall by silver-purple heads. Excellent winter
color, a bronze column. Wet to shoreline soils. Full sun, hardy to zone
7. |
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|
Elderberry |
Sambucus
canadensis |
A
native wetland shrub, aggressive from rhizomes, notable for large umbels
of tiny white flowers followed by deep purple, sweet, edible berries.
Foliage pinnately compound, deciduous, no fall color. Height to 15 feet,
usually shorter. Moist to wet sites, shorelines, sun to partial shade.
Hardy to Zone 6. |
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| Giant
Coneflower |
Rudbeckia
maxima |
A
native broadleaf forming dense mounds of blue-tinted, cabbage-like foliage
during the winter, followed by tall (5-7 feet) stems topped by showy heads.
Needs moist soils, tolerates brief flooding, full sun, hardy to Zone 6.
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| Horsetail |
Equisetum
hymale |
A
native, herbacious conifer, aggressive from rhizomes, to 5 feet tall,
stems jointed, heavily silicated. Cones formed on older stems. Well-drained
soils near but not in water, tolerates occasional flooding, sun to partial
shade. Hardy to Zone 5. |
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| Lizard-tail |
Saururus
cernuus |
A
native broadleaf for shallow water to shorelines, Arum family. Full sun
to light shade, heavy, wet soils, very aggressive from rhizomes, to 3
feet tall. Hardy to Zone 6. |
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| Military
Hibiscus |
Hibiscus
militaris |
A
native broadleaf depending on moist to flooded conditions, invades by
seeds to depths of 2 feet. Height to 6 feet, flowers very showy, full
sun, hardy to Zone 6. |
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| Sawtooth
Sunflower |
Helianthus
grosse-serratus |
A
native broadleaf of moist to flooded conditions, to depth of 1.5 feet,
aggressively rhizomatous and will seed. Full sun, hardy to Zone 6. Height
spectacular, 12-20 feet, with broad spray of flowers. |
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| Spring-Flowering
Obedient Plant |
Physostegia
intermedia |
A
native mint, aggressive from rhizomes, flowers in the spring. Forms dense
colonies, dormant in midsummer while the grasses grow. Height to 3 feet,
moist soils near water, tolerates temporary flooding. Full sun, hardy
to Zone 6. |
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