Native Plants
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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - July 12, 2011
From: Bradford, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Erosion Control, Grasses or Grass-like, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs
Title: Plants for steep bank in Pennsylvania
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
What do I do with a very steep bank with hard clay soil to stop erosion and to look nice. Is there a ground cover that would help?ANSWER:
I recommend a mixture of grasses, herbaceous plants and small shrubs. Grasses are very effective at holding soil in place because of their extensive fibrous root systems, but covering your steep bank with one kind of grass only could be a bit boring. Monocultures are generally not the best idea so choosing two or more grasses and interspersing them with some herbaceous plants and small shrubs will give you an interesting and effective means of controlling the erosion. Since you didn't say, I don't know the moisture and sun availability. You need to check the "Growing Conditions" section for each species to see if the required environmental conditions are compatible with your site. The cheapest way to carry out your project is by sowing seeds. However, since you would be sowing the seeds on a slope, you will probably find that rain will wash the seeds away before they have had a chance to germinate. You might be able to find grass plugs or nursery plants available for sale. They will be more expensive than the seeds but would have a better chance of setting their roots before rain could wash them away. Another possibility is to use erosion control blankets to stabilize the erosion area. 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 also 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.
Grasses:
Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye or canada wild rye)
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye)
Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little bluestem)
Herbaceous plants and small shrubs:
Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot)
Phlox divaricata (Wild blue phlox)
From the Image Gallery
More Erosion Control Questions
Low plants to cover bank too steep to mow
June 26, 2008 - I have a bank along the road that is too steep to mow. This bank faces east and only gets 2 - 4 hours per day of sunlight. I'd like to try ground cover to prevent erosion, however visibility is a p...
view the full question and answer
Plants for erosion control in arid region
September 29, 2008 - In semi arid south west (Phoenix), the drainage is managed by creating incised channels. Typically, the dirt channel can erode with even very low velocities of moving water. To reduce erosion therefor...
view the full question and answer
Full Sun, Wind-Tolerant Shrubs and Vines for Steep MN Hillside
June 26, 2013 - My neighbor and I share a very steep, large (in total almost 200 ft. wide) west-facing hillside in Excelsior, MN on Lake Minnetonka. We both have a flat grass area at the bottom so the hillside does n...
view the full question and answer
Ground cover to control hillside erosion in Illinois
May 04, 2014 - I have seen some other questions regarding native plants for erosion control, but I am looking specifically for plants that will do well on a hill in partial to full shade. I am told the soil in our a...
view the full question and answer
Ground cover that won't hide snakes from Asheville NC
June 29, 2012 - I have an unusual situation: several bare areas in an otherwise wooded area, which receive partial sun, and are not near water -- it rains here frequently, but the soil can become quite dry at times. ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |