Green and Growing: Native plants that thrive in and around water and wetlands
No matter how you measure it, there’s a lot of water in and around Connecticut. About 15 percent of the state’s surface area is under water — lakes, streams, rivers, tidal inlets, and wetlands. We are the third smallest state in land area, but among the top 20 states for coastline, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
These geographic facts are worth considering, as the rain that falls on our lawns and gardens ultimately drains to a nearby water body, either underground or on the surface.
Unless you live near water, the movement of rainfall can be hard to visualize. I didn’t quite understand until the day I visited the headwaters of the Connecticut River, slightly this side of the Canadian border. As dark clouds poured rain onto a small lake near Pittsburg, N.H., I realized I was watching the beginning of a 400-mile journey to Long Island Sound. Since then, I’ve had the chance to observe the origination points of several rivers around the state, including the Eightmile River that begins at Lake Hayward in East Haddam and Colchester.
In nature, waterside areas nurture plants and the plants protect the water by slowing surface flow. A single mature maple or oak, for instance, can have leaf surface area close to the size of a football field—a giant umbrella that softens downpours. Trees and shrubs also shade water, moderating temperatures and making life more comfortable for native aquatic life. Vegetation also absorbs pollutants and excess nutrients, both of which harm water quality.
Furthermore, when native plants surround water bodies, they occupy space where invasive plant species might take root. At the same time, native birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife gain food and a better habitat.
If you care for a landscape near fresh or salt water, here’s a list that will help you find native species that will thrive. Most are easy to find in garden centers. Independent garden centers are usually happy to order special plants.
The list is based on my personal experience, plus confirmation from expert sources such as “Connecticut Coastal Planting Guide” by Juliana Barrett, UConn; the University of Rhode Island native plant database and the UConn plant database.
Plants for Fresh Water Locations
Flowering Perennials
Spotted Joe-Pye weed, Eutrochium maculatum,
Lobelia, blue: Lobelia siphilitica, or red, L. cardinalis
Mountainmint, Pycnanthemum muticum
Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
Turtlehead, Chelone glabra
Shrubs
Black elderberry, Sambucus canadensis
Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
Redosier dogwood, Cornus sericea
Winterberry, Ilex verticillata
Small Trees:
Allegheny serviceberry, Amelanchier laevis
Pussy willow, Salix discolor
Speckled alder, Alnus incana
Flowering Perennials for Fresh Water or Brackish Environments
Blue flag iris, Iris versicolor
Blue vervain, Verbena hastata
Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa
Helen’s flower, Helenium autumnale and H. flexuosum
Joepyeweed, Eutrochium maculatum
Asters: Symphotrichum novae-angliae and S. novi-belgi
Penstemon, Penstemon digitalis
Rose mallow, Hibiscus moschuetos
Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
Yarrow, Achillea millefolium
Plants for Salt Water Locations
Flowering Perennials
Carolina sea lavender, Limonium carolinianum
Salt-marsh aster, Symphyotrichum tenuifolium
Seaside goldenrod, Solidago sempervirens
Shrubs
Arrowwood Viburnum, Viburnum dentatum,
Carolina rose, Rosa caroliniana
High bush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum
Swamp rose, Rosa palutris
Sweet pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia
Virginia rose, Rosa virginiana
Shrubs For Sunny Slopes, Salt-Spray Tolerant
Bayberry, Morella pensylvanica
Beach plum, Prunus maritima
Common juniper, Juniperus communis
Creeping juniper, Juniperus horizontalis
Eastern redcedar ‘Grey Owl’, Juniperus virginiana ‘Grey Owl’
Potentilla, Potentilla fruticosa
Sweetfern, Comptonia peregrina
Salt-Tolerant Grasses and Grass-like Plants
American beach grass, Ammophila brevigulata
Big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii
Coastal switchgrass, Panicum amarum
Indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans
Pink muhly grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris
Sweetflag, Hierochloe odorata
Kathy Connolly is a landscape designer, speaker, and garden writer from Old Saybrook. She can be reached at SpeakingofLandscapes.com.
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