Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
14 ratings

Wednesday - April 23, 2008

From: Honey Brook, PA
Region: Northeast
Topic: Erosion Control
Title: Native plants to stabilize a steep bank in Pennsylvania
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I would like to use native plantings to stabilize a steep bank of a septic leach field in eastern Pennsylvania. My purpose is to control erosion and to eliminate the need for mowing. What would you recommend?

ANSWER:

Grasses, because of their extensive fibrous root systems that hold the soil, are ideal plants to stabilize a steep area and prevent erosion. You can find native grasses that are commercially available in Pennsylvania by choosing Pennsylvania from the map on our Recommended Species page and then narrowing your search to Grass/Grass-like species under "Habit".

Here are several good candidates for grasses from that list:

Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama)

Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye)

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)

Sporobolus heterolepis (prairie dropseed)

All these grasses will mix well with wildflowers and they have attractive shapes and seed heads.

You can return to the Pennsylvania Recommended list for shrubs and wildflowers to plant with the grasses. Again, you can narrow your search by the plant "Habit", "Light Requirement", or "Soil Moisture" to find the perfect plant for the space.

Since I don't know the sun/shade situation or the soil moisture for your site I will recommend a few hardy perennials that will grow in a variety of habitats and help with the stabilization.

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)

Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey tea)

Conoclinium coelestinum (blue mistflower)

Coreopsis lanceolata (lanceleaf tickseed)

Gaultheria procumbens (eastern teaberry) is a low-growing evergreen plant that could be used alone for a groundcover that would not need to be mowed.

Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine)

if the erosion is already very serious, you might want to consider using erosion-control blankets to stabilize the erosion area until the plants can take over the job. The erosion-control fabric works by slowing the runoff water and allowing sediments to fall out rather than be washed away. Seeds are sown under the erosion-control material and grow up through the matting when they germinate. You can insert plants into the soil by cutting through the matting. The roots of the plants that are growing through the erosion-control material anchor the soil to stop the erosion. If you use erosion-control blankets made of biodegrable material, they will eventually disappear leaving the plants to control the problem. You can read about a stream bank stabilization project implemented by Department of Environmental Services, Arlington, Viriginia.


Bouteloua curtipendula

Elymus canadensis

Schizachyrium scoparium

Sporobolus heterolepis

Achillea millefolium

Ceanothus americanus

Conoclinium coelestinum

Coreopsis lanceolata

Gaultheria procumbens

Lupinus perennis

 


 

More Erosion Control Questions

Raised beds over lateral lines in Solgohachia AR
January 02, 2010 - I would like to build raised flower beds over my lateral lines. They would be planted with strawberries and perennials. Will this cause any problems with the absorption into the ground or not lettin...
view the full question and answer

Erosion controlling plants for a shady Minnesota lakeside
August 11, 2015 - I live about 50 yards from a lake and there is a steep embankment. Recently someone decided to cut the trees off the embankment and now the dirt is eroding off the embankment as well as off my back ya...
view the full question and answer

Grass for erosion control
July 19, 2008 - I have a very shaded sloped back yard. I have not been able to get grass to grow due to the shade. There are approximately twenty 30-40 ft. Oaks in the yard. The yard slopes toward the house. I wo...
view the full question and answer

Erosion control for a North Carolina creek side
February 29, 2012 - Hello Mr. Smarty Plants! I noticed a question on your website recommending NC native grasses and plants to help prevent erosion on a sloping backyard, including the use of an erosion blanket. The pl...
view the full question and answer

Need suggestions for native grasses to stabilize hillside Lago Vista, TX.
May 20, 2012 - I was hoping for some advice. We live on a hillside near Lake Travis. 10-12 years ago I removed all cedar trees. There is approximately 1-2 acrees of steep land between our residence and the lake. ...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.