Keywords: Deer, Iris, Soil erosion, Native plants--Care and maintenance, Carex, Wetland plants, Scrophularia, Lysichiton americanus, Athyrium filix-femina, Spiraea douglasii, Cornus stolonifera, Cornus alba, Pontederia cordata, Sagittaria latifolia, Typha latifolia, Thalia, Acorus
PAL Question:
We need some advice and we are hoping you can help. We would like to replant the banks of our fish pond and want to know what kinds of plants would hold a steep slope and be compatible with the fish and each other. We have a large deer and elk population and we get substantial amounts of rain. We like grass-type shrubs and we need a ground cover that will not take over and is evergreen.
View Answer:
From the research I have done, it seems that a pond with a sloping side is a very good idea, but if erosion is a serious issue, you may want to think about both plants and physical controls such as coconut fiber matting to stabilize the banks. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's guide (1997), The Natural Water Garden, has a description of using coconut fiber tubes (also called biologs) laid horizontally along a bank, which can also be used as a secure planting medium for seedlings.
As far as deer-resistant plants which may work for your site, iris and spiraea appear to be unappealing to deer, so you might want to try some of the irises which prefer moist situations, such as Iris laevigata, and Iris versicolor (blue flag), as well as Spiraea douglasii (hardhack).
Other plants which may help with preventing erosion are Lysichiton americanum (skunk cabbage), Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern), Carex obnupta (sedge), and Cornus stolonifera (red osier dogwood) or C. alba (red twig dogwood).
Some grassy or reedy plants which do well as marginal (water's edge) plants include Acorus calamus 'Variegatus' (variegated sweet flag), Pontederia cordata (pickerelweed), Sagittaria latifolia (American arrowhead), and Typha latifolia (cattail). All of these are deciduous.
For evergreen plants, you could try Scrophularia auriculata 'Variegata' (water figwort), an evergreen perennial with cream-edged foliage. The flowers should be deadheaded to prevent self-seeding. Thalia dealbata (hardy canna) is evergreen, with long-stalked blue-green leaves and violet flower spikes.
Season
All Season
Date 2006-03-20
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Keywords: Allium, Rubus spectabilis, Carex, Native plants--Washington, Athyrium filix-femina, Sambucus racemosa, Deschampsia cespitosa, Juncus effusus, Juncus ensifolius, Ledum glandulosum, Carex stipata
PAL Question:
I am an Ecologist with Adopt-A-Stream Foundation, a non-profit stream restoration organization. I am in the process of doing a planting plan for a golf course in Snohomish County. My constraints: Low growing native shrubs with extensive root systems to help filter out the golf course irrigation water before it enters the stream. Willow would be an obvious choice, but it would grow too tall and out of control. I was looking at such species as Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana), Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), etc. It would have to be a FAC+ (streambanks and wetlands). Any thoughts?
View Answer:
I found a list in Restoring Wetlands in Washington Publ#93-17 and picked out the FAC identified ones, eliminating all the tall trees and shrubs. Symphoricarpos (Snowberry) would be a good option, but Rosa nutkana (Nootka Rose) and Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry) get too big for your purposes. Another Rubus I could recommend is Rosa gynocarpa (Baldhip Rose). Many of the following recommendations are grasses of one sort or another. (See the USDA Wetland Indicator status definitions.)
Allium geyeri (non-native) FACU
Athyrium filix femina FAC
Carex aperta (non-native) FACW
Carex stipata FACW
Deschempsia caespitosa FACW
Juncus effusus and ensifolius FACW
Ledum glandulosum FACW
Sambucus racemosa var. melanpcarpa FACU
Spirea douglasii FACW
You might also try the Snohomish County Conservation District website
Season
All Season
Date 2006-11-14
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