Native Plants
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Saturday - April 25, 2009
From: Salisbury, CT
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Native plants to retain slope in Salisbury, CT
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
We want to plant a newly dug out slope with native plants that will retain the dirt. It is sun to part sun near a lake summer cottage. Thanks!!!ANSWER:
The best thing for retention of that slope would be a meadow garden, which combines grasses, which are world class erosion preventers, and wildflowers for a pleasant view from your cottage. Begin by reading our How-To Article, Meadow Gardening. We will follow up by going to our Recommended Species section, clicking on Connecticut on the map, and searching for grasses and wildflowers native to your area that you can plant. You can repeat the same process, going to the Native Plant Database for the grasses, and make your own choices. Follow the plant links to each individual plant webpage to learn propagation techniques, amount of moisture needed,etc.
Herbaceous blooming plants
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) - perennial, 1 to 3 ft. tall, blooms white, pink April to September, sun, part shade
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) - perennial, 1 to 2 ft., deciduous, blooms orange, yellow May to september, sun, part shade
Anemone canadensis (Canadian anemone) - perennial, 1 to 2 ft., blooms white April to June, part shade, shade
Chamerion angustifolium ssp. angustifolium (fireweed) - perennial, 3 to 5 ft. tall, blooms white, piink purple June to August, sun
Conoclinium coelestinum (blue mistflower) - perennial to 3 ft., blooms blue, purple July to November, sun, part shade
Coreopsis lanceolata (lanceleaf tickseed) - perennial to 1 ft. tall, blooms yellow April to June,
Lobelia siphilitica (great blue lobelia) - perenial, 2 to 3 ft., blooms blue July to October, sun to shade
Monarda didyma (scarlet beebalm) - perennial, 3 ft., blooms red May to October, sun, pat shade
Grasses
Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) - warn season perennial, 4 to 8 ft. tall, sun, part shade
Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama) - warm season perennial, 1 to 3 ft., sun, part shade
Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama) - perennial, 1 to 3 ft., sun
Calamagrostis canadensis (bluejoint) - perennial, 3 to 5 ft, sun to shade
Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye) - cool season perennial, deciduous, 3 to 6 ft., sun, part shade
Muhlenbergia capillaris (hairawn muhly) - perennial, 1 to 3 ft., sun
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) - perennial, 18 to 24 inches, sun, part shade
Tripsacum dactyloides (eastern gamagrass) - perennial, 3 to 6 ft. part shade
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Native replacement for non-native Bermudagrass in Leander TX
October 16, 2011 - We have Bermuda grass. Large patches have died due to the drought and our yard has been taken over by weeds and St. Augustine grass whose seeds must have blown in. Even when the grass was in great con...
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Mixture of native grasses as opposed to buffalo grass monoculture
November 26, 2003 - My husband and I just built our home on Lake Travis. Our lot is very rocky and is on the side of a hill. We would like to plant something on the incline at the front of our home that doesn't need a l...
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Grasses for Pennsylvania
July 18, 2013 - What type of grass does the best in my area?
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Difficult slope in Tarrytown NY
March 03, 2009 - I hope you can help. Is there a way to plant some native shrubs and plants on a steep slope that is filled in some areas with rock without having to tier the slope? The section is approximately 50' w...
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Small, flowering, evergreen plants for hillside in Austin.
October 27, 2007 - I have a steep, dry hillside measuring approximately 4 feet high by six feet wide. I want to plant low growing, evergreen, flowering plants across the bed that will flower as long as possible, and thr...
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