{"id":2867,"date":"2019-05-10T00:06:35","date_gmt":"2019-05-10T07:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/pal\/pal-question-154\/"},"modified":"2024-01-17T09:49:29","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T17:49:29","slug":"planting-to-stabilize-a-steep-slope","status":"publish","type":"pal","link":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/pal\/planting-to-stabilize-a-steep-slope\/","title":{"rendered":"planting to stabilize a steep slope"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can I plant groundcovers, shrubs, and trees to stabilize a steep slope?<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There are several resources which will help you in
\nselecting plants to prevent erosion and mudslides on
\nyour slope.<\/p>\n

Please note that these articles are merely suggestions and should not be construed as advice. We are librarians, not engineers!<\/p>\n

None of our standard books on trees mentions the soil binding quality of tree roots. However, the Miller Library does have very good technical books and articles on slope stabilization. (For example, Slope Stabilization and Erosion Control: A Bioengineering Approach<\/i>, edited by R.P.C. Morgan and R.J. Rickson, 1995.)<\/p>\n

I do want to note one thing that many articles mention: no amount of established vegetation will hold a steep slope if other forces are present that would contribute to a landslide.<\/p>\n

The Department of Ecology website<\/a> has a list of appropriate plants.<\/p>\n

Additionally, there are a number of books with
\ninformation on the subject. Vegetative Contribution
\nto Slope Stability at Magnolia Park<\/i> (by Kathy Parker, 1996)
\nrecommends Oregon grape (Mahonia), which she suggests
\nfor gentle slopes.<\/p>\n

Other smaller plants she lists are:
\nPolystichum munitum (native sword fern)
\nVaccinium ovatum (evergreen huckleberry)
\nSymphoricarpos albus (snowberry)<\/p>\n

Larger shrubs in her list:
\nAlnus rubra (red alder)
\nPhiladelphus lewisii (mock orange)
\nSambucus racemosa (red elderberry)<\/p>\n

Small trees:
\nAcer circinatum (vine maple)
\nAmelanchier alnifolia (serviceberry)
\nCorylus cornuta (hazelnut)<\/p>\n

For steeper slopes, Parker says that they may not be
\ngood candidates for vegetative rehabilitation unless
\nyou put in some kind of structure. She says that Jute mats can be used in conjunction with native seed, mulch, and shrubs, if carefully anchored. She also mentions a Weyerhaeuser product called Soil
\nGuard.<\/p>\n

Steep Slope Stabilization Using Woody Vegetation<\/i> (by
\nLeslie Hennelly, 1994) has a plant list, as well as a chart which indicates plants used to control erosion, the degree
\nof the slopes, and the rate of success in resisting
\nerosion.<\/p>\n

Two titles which focus more on the garden design
\naspect of planting on a slope are
\nHillside Gardening : Evaluating the Site, Designing
\nViews, Planting Slopes<\/i> (by William Lake Douglas, 1987) and
\nHillside Landscaping<\/i> (by Susan Lang and the editors
\nof Sunset Books, 2002).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can I plant groundcovers, shrubs, and trees to stabilize a steep slope?   There are several resources which will help you in selecting plants to prevent erosion and mudslides on your slope. Please note that these articles are merely suggestions and should not be construed as advice. We are librarians, not engineers! None of our standard books on trees mentions the soil binding quality of tree roots. However, the Miller Library does have very good technical books and articles on…<\/p>\n

Continue reading planting to stabilize a steep slope<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","keyword":[659,580,291,442,490,242,221,285,257],"class_list":["post-2867","pal","type-pal","status-publish","hentry","keyword-acer-circinatum","keyword-alnus","keyword-amelanchier","keyword-berberis","keyword-corylus","keyword-philadelphus-lewisii","keyword-polystichum-munitum","keyword-slope-stabilization-and-soil-erosion","keyword-vaccinium-ovatum"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pal\/2867"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pal"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/pal"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=2867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}