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 21, 2009
From: Grand Haven, MI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Water Gardens
Title: Plants for retention ponds in Grand Haven, MI
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I am president of a condo association. We have three retention ponds on the property. From two of them we pump water for irrigation so the water level goes up and down. We are going to try to stabilize the shore to stop the erosion, but I am trying to find out about plants that can live with wet and dry feet. Non-invasive, and preferably something that will grow tall enough to break up the sightline from the water to the shore, to help keep the geese off the lawn. I know that is is a separate issue.ANSWER:
Luckily for us, there has already been an excellent answer to virtually the same question, the previous one coming from White Lake, MI in the southwest part of Michigan, Oakland County. We feel that is close enough to Grand Haven, on the southeast side of Michigan, Ottawa County, that the same information should apply, including the plant selections. Previous answer to White Lake.
In terms of keeping the geese off of the lawn, we have had questions about geese destroying gardens before, as well. We are not sure if any of the plants suggested in the previous answer were grasses tall enough to serve as something of a barrier to the geese, so we are going to find some native grasses that can tolerate wet or dry soils and list them for you.
Grasses Native to Michigan
Calamagrostis canadensis (bluejoint) - 3to 5 ft. tall, sun, part shade or shade
Carex stipata (owlfruit sedge) - 2 to 3 ft. tall, wet soil to standing water, sun
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge) - wet or moist soil,sun
Juncus torreyi (Torrey's rush) - wet or moist soil, sun
Phragmites australis (common reed) - 3 to 6 ft., wet or moist soil, sun
Scirpus atrovirens (green bulrush) - 3 to 6 ft. tall, wet soil, sun
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (softstem bulrush) - wet soil, sun
Spartina pectinata (prairie cordgrass) - 3 to 6 ft., wet soil, sun
More Water Gardens Questions
How to keep plants alive in a pot beside a patio waterfall.
May 13, 2013 - Mr. Smarty Plants,
I have a waterfall on my patio and I can't keep my plants alive in the flower pot next to waterfall. Is that beacuse of algae produced by waterfall? If so, can you please recomme...
view the full question and answer
Water-loving native plants for Pottstown, PA
September 11, 2009 - I live about 40 miles west of Philadelphia. I am looking for a water absorbing evergreen tree/bush/plant that I could plant in the rear of my yard. We get a small stream every good rain and the back...
view the full question and answer
Water absorbing plant from Surbiton, England
May 21, 2011 - Ground soggy with rain, is there a plant that will absorb water?
view the full question and answer
Plants for NY wetland yard
April 30, 2011 - We have standing water in our yard for the entire spring and sometimes summer if it's a rainy one. We dug a ditch and found that our yard has a natural spring, which explains a lot. I need to know ...
view the full question and answer
Looking for grasses for slope around retention pond in Florida
August 02, 2011 - I live in St. Petersburg, FL on a large retention pond. Most of my neighbors on the pond have seawalls. I do not nor do my neighbors to my left and right. I am interested in colorful grasses to put...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |