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
Wednesday - September 04, 2013
From: St. Paul, MN
Region: Midwest
Topic: Erosion Control, Grasses or Grass-like, Herbs/Forbs, Vines
Title: Riverbank Plants for Minnesota
Answered by: Larry Larson
QUESTION:
I would like to stablize a steep riverbank slope along the Upper Mississippi in St. Cloud MN. The slopes are almost 1:1. We are using an open cell concrete matt in which we are going to plant native grasses, forbes and vines. We would like to use plants native to the riverbluffs in the region. Any ideas? Thanks for your help.ANSWER:
As you are using the open cell concrete mat to stabilize the slope, we don’t necessarily need to recommend the usual stabilization of the slope with plants that form clumps and/or have extended root systems. Of course, this is still a useful aspect for your application
Mr Smarty Plants makes recommendations out of the Wildflower Centers “Recommended Species” lists, this time the one for Minnesota.
There turns out to be plenty of native plants [130] that might be found in the “Wet or Moist” soil of a riverbank. So I further restricted the plants listed here to ones that are shorter and/or are perennial; happily, many of these also have extended root systems that will further stabilize the ground. You may want to consider:
Grasses or Grasslike [11 candidates]: Calamagrostis canadensis (Bluejoint), Carex stipata (Awlfruit sedge), Spartina pectinata (Prairie cordgrass), Allium canadense (Meadow garlic), Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem), Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats grama),
Forbs [64 candidates]: Asarum canadense (Canadian wild ginger), Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry dogwood), Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman's breeches), Hydrophyllum virginianum (Eastern waterleaf), Mitchella repens (Partridgeberry),
Vines : Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet), Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
This is just a sampling of the native plants available that should be successfull. As there are many possibilities, you may want to review the plant records of these suggestions and/or go back to the restricted list of Recommended Species for Minnesota and make a selection based more on your knowledge of the riverbank and its characteristics.
From the Image Gallery
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
Maintenance of milkweed from Austin
September 12, 2013 - I help plant and maintain a Monarch Waystation Garden in San Leanna, Texas (South Austin). Should milkweed plants be cut back during the winter? Last year we cut them back a bit late and some died c...
view the full question and answer
How to tell the difference between native and non-native thistles
March 13, 2013 - It's thistle time already. There are many plants in the aster family with thistle in their common name. Are "real" thistles only those in the genus Cirsium, or are there others as well? We are tryi...
view the full question and answer
Plants for a Austin thicket underlayer
July 25, 2014 - We live in Austin, west of 183. We are planning to put a thicket in our backyard, where there is no threat of deer. Anchoring the thicket are a clump of live oaks, a Texas persimmon, an Eve's Necklac...
view the full question and answer
Restoring disturbed land in Marshall, TX.
December 04, 2014 - I have a 30 acre tract of land in Marshall, Texas. The oil company has turned 2-3 acres surrounding the rig into gravel. I would like to return the gravel area to green space. Any suggestions on gras...
view the full question and answer
What flowers will ducks and swans not eat?
January 11, 2009 - I live by ducks and swans. They love eating my flowers.
Any suggestions on what flowering plants they won't eat?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |