Native Plants

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Thursday - April 21, 2011
From: Ipava, IL
Region: Midwest
Topic: Erosion Control
Title: Plants for erosion control in IL
Answered by: Anne Bossart
QUESTION:
Steep 40ft slope in rural Illinois with Sandy soil. Recently several trees slid down this slope due to wet conditions. We need any inexpensive plants to hold the hillside in check before erosion creeps and causes cabin damage.ANSWER:
Your best bet are ornamental grasses. Their fibrous root systems make them drought tolerant (a necessity in the quick draining, sandy conditions you describe) and help them hold the soil. There are also a number of native prairie wildflowers that fit the bill and will help transfrm your slope from a liability to a native meadow planting that is not only pretty to look at, but provides wildlife habitat as well.
You can generate lists of native plants by visiting our Native Plant Database and doing a Combination Search. Select: Illinois/grasses(or herbaceous plants) and the light and soil conditions. I suspect that even though you had a slide due to wet conditions, once you have the slope stablilized the conditions will actually be dry due to rapid drainage from the steep slope and sandy soil.
You will ultimately be limited by what plants are available in the nurseries but here are some plants from those lists we think will work for you:
Grasses
Ammophila breviligulata (American beach grass)
Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem)
Andropogon glomeratus (Bushy bluestem)
Calamagrostis canadensis (Bluejoint)
Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats)
Muhlenbergia capillaris (Gulf muhly)
Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little bluestem)
Perennials (wildflowers)
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) Centaurea americana (American basket-flower) Coreopsis lanceolata (Lanceleaf coreopsis) Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower) Liatris aspera var. intermedia (Intermediate rough gayfeather) Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot) Oenothera fruticosa ssp. glauca (Narrowleaf evening-primrose) Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed susan) Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod)
More Erosion Control Questions
Low growing annuals for OK shaded slope.
January 26, 2016 - I have a heavily shaded slope on the north, west, and south side of my home. Can you suggest some low growing annuals (flowering, or not) that would allow me to beautify my property.
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Ground cover for a slope in San Antonio TX
July 02, 2013 - Slope growing, no or little irrigation ground cover. The slope is probably greater than 30%. The area is currently a construction road at the base, cut into the hill. To re-establish with a ground cov...
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Native plants for erosion control in South Dakota
December 04, 2008 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota at about 5000 feet ASL. My house is on a steep hill. I had to clear a perimeter around my house of all the pine trees for fire supp...
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Stabilizing a lakeside slope from Bracey, VA
May 24, 2012 - We are trying to beautify and stabilize a relatively large lakeside steep slope with a southern exposure in central Virginia. The soil is characterized by red clay and shale rock. How can we turn this...
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Plants for a sunny, dry slope in NY
March 01, 2010 - Looking for plants, native to area, that are quick growing to a height of approximately 6" to 12" for a steep slope comprised of shale in a sunny location.
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