Wetland Plants in Transportation Plant Materials for
LOUISIANA TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE 2011 BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
Prof. Buck Abbey, ASLA Landscape Architect Louisiana State University
Photos courtesy of Abbey Associates, Inc. Les marécages de la Louisiane Landscape Architects-Planners sont un trésor à l'état Baton Rouge – New Orleans Wetland Plant Material Specifications Louisiana Iris Series Hexagonae
Iris brevicaulis Woods Iris Iris fulva Copper Iris Iris hexagona Zig Zag Iris Iris giganticaerulea Big Blue Iris Iris Nelsonii Abbeville Iris les Series Laevigatae glis Iris virginica Blue Flag Iris de Non native marais Iris pseudacorus Yellow Flag Iris Big Blue Louisiana Iris Iris Giganticaerulea
Form: up to 2’ tall and grasslike
Foliage:straplike leaves 1-3’ long and 1-1 ½” wide fan out from base of plant; can be soft and arching or stiff and upright
Flower: typical six-petal iris flowers appear on zig-zag stems; each plant typically produces four to ten flowers which bloom in succession.
Growing Conditions: performs best in full sun to partial shade in moist acidic soils with high fertility and organic matter content. Blue Flag Iris Iris virginica
Photo Missouri Plants
Characteristics: Herbaceous perennial with sword-like leaves that grow in clumps from thick horizontal root (corm). Flowers: March - April Fruit: capsule with seeds in late summer Growth: up to 4 feet, slow rate of spread (+/- 0.2 ft per year) Shade: full sun to partial shade Habitat: wet meadows, pond and lake edges, forested wetlands Hydrology: obligate wetland species (OBL), regularly to permanently inundated up to 0.5 ft. Comments: requires full sun for flowering, limited wildlife value Native Louisiana Plant Copper Iris Iris fulva
Photo Abbey Associates Landscape Architects
Photo James Henderson Leighton Gardens Characteristics: Herbaceous perennial with sword-like leaves that grow in clumps 12” to 18” in height.. Flowers: March - April Fruit: capsule with seeds in late summer, seeds float and populate freely. Growth: up to 2 feet, slow rate of spread (+/- 0.2 ft per year) Shade: full sun for proper flowering and growth. Habitat: wet meadows, pond and lake edges, open forested wetlands Hydrology: obligate wetland species (OBL), regularly to permanently inundated up to 0.5 ft. Comments: requires full sun for flowering, limited wildlife value Native Louisiana Plant Hybrid Louisiana Iris Iris sp.
Kristi g Hybrid Louisiana Iris Iris sp
Her Highness Giant Cutgrass Zinaniopsis miliaceae
Form: up to 4’ tall and grasslike; lower branches are whorled becoming alternate above
Foliage:pale green leaves around 3’ long with sharply toothed margins
Flower: whispy, riceplant-like tufts on the ends of foliage; not very promonant
Growing Conditions: performs best in full sun to partial shade in wet boggy soils Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
Photo North Creek Nurseries
Characteristics: herbaceous clumping perennial, Flowers: Slender long stalks July-September. Growth: Slow growing. Height: 2-4’ Shade: Prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Habitat: Fresh marshes, open woods and wet meadows. Hydrology: Facultative wetland +. Irregular inundation and upland. Comments: Beautiful fall color with red seed heads. Adds texture to the landscape and adds a winter interest to the landscape. Controls erosion. Seeds provide a food source to birds and it provides cover for wildlife. Ground cover in wet to moist areas, used for wetland restoration. Fakahatchee Grass Tripsacum dactyloides
Photo Shirley Denton L Roger Hammer R Characteristics: largeherbaceousgrass,3-4’, Flowers: Vertical stalks, anthers orange, purple stigma July Growth: Slow growing. Height: 2-4’ Shade: Prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Habitat: Marshes, swamps, wet pinelands. Hydrology: Fresh water, full sun to light shade. Moist to wet poorly drained soils, some drought tolerant. Comments: Eastern Gamma Grass native to the Everglades and can be grown from seeds and divisions. Fruit attractive to birds and butterflies Horsetail, Scouring Rush Equisetum hymale
Form: 2-3’verticle rush-like, reedy perennial herb with hollow bamboo- like stems that are not true leaves. A plant that dates to the carboniferous period.
Foliage:no true leaves but dark green stems are erect and cylindrical with thick mid-rib blackened ribs. Cone structures at ends of stems release spores. Photo ViversBarri Flower: no true flower . . Growing Conditions: performs best Photo in full sun infertile soils in wet, Missouri marshy areas of fresh water. Can Plants escape and become a plant pest if not . constrained. Cuttings root easily. . excellent water filtering plant. Three Square Bulrush Scirpus americanus (Schoenoplectus pungens)
Form: Native fresh water marsh plant
Foliage: dark green triangular stems and long slender leaves that provide animal food source
Flower: white flowers April-May
Growing Conditions: performs best in full sun in wet, marshy areas of fresh water or intermediate marshes and in water edge locations within wetlands. Excellent water filtering plant. Photo University of Florida . . Photo Avi sBoutell . Soft Rush Juncus effusus
Form: 2-5’ tall and grasslike; leafy, reddish sheaths wrap the bottom of the plant
Foliage:pale green stems are erect and cylindrical with thick midrib grow in fan-shaped clusters from base of plant
Flower: each stalk has clusters of 30-100 small, greenish-brown flowers
Growing Conditions: performs best in full sun to partial shade in wet, fresh or saltwater soils Photo Soft Rush used along edge of golf course ponds. The dark green Ecoshores, Inc. color contrasts greatly with the edge of fairway. . Bullrush Scirpus californicus
Form: 3-6’ tall and grasslike
Foliage:pale green stems are erect and triangular
Flower: Multiple florets with pistils and stamens in a single cluster of more than 5 brownish- red spikelets; toward top of stem.
Growing Conditions: performs best in full sun to partial shade in wet, freshwater soils
Photo Giant Bulrush- 6 weeks after planting. Will eventually hide bridge Ecoshores, Inc. deck. This species often used to hide drainage structures. . Pickerelweed Pontaderia cordata
Form: 18-24” stems terminating in single leaves.
Foliage: heart shaped dark green leaves.
Flower: Multiple florets with pistils and stamens in a single cluster of more than 5 brownish-red spikelets; toward top of stem.
Growing Conditions: performs best in full sun to partial shade in wet, freshwater soils; can grow in water up to 18” deep Lizard’s Tail Sauruus cernuus
Photo Environmental Concern
Characteristics: Herbaceous, perennial, non-persistent; leaves are heart-shaped and alternate. Flowers: Fragrant, 12” long, nodding spike, white blooms; June-September. Growth: Range in height from1.5’- 4.5’. Shade: Full sun in moist soil to partial shade. Habitat: Fresh tidal and non-tidal marshes, swamps and shallow water. Hydrology: Classified as an obligate wetland (OBL) plant; low salinity tolerance; tidal zone is from near mid-tide or permanent inundation; 0-12”. Comments: Thrives in moist, wet conditions. Hardy in zones 5-9. Valued by wood duck. Bulltongue Sagittaria latifolia
Form: stems up to 3’ terminating in single leaves.
Foliage: arrowhead shaped leaves.6-12” long
Flower: Three petaled white flowers with yellow centers appear on tall stalks from spring to fall
Growing Conditions: performs best in full sun to partial shade in wet, freshwater soils Broadleaf Cattail Typha latifolia Narrowleaf Cattail Typha angustifolia Photo Florida Aquatic Nursery
Photo Honeysome Aquatic Nursery Characteristics: Herbaceous/ Perennial/ Persistent Flowers: Inconspicuous in large, dense, brown terminal spike. Flowers May into June. Growth: Height: up to 6’. Growth rate: Rapid or fast growing. Shade: Requires full sun. Habitat: Fresh tidal marshes, non-tidal marshes, pond and stream edges, ditches. Hydrology: Obligate wetland, fresh water; less than 0.5 ppt in upper tidal zones. Comments: Good soil stabilizer, tolerates drought. Provides cover and nesting for canvasback, gadwall, wood duck, marsh wren, red-winged blackbird and fish. Provides food in the form of rootstock and seed for snow geese, teals, muskrats Useful References Alabama Plants http://alabamaplants.com/index.html
Aquatic Plants of Florida Inc www.aquaticplantsofflorida.com/plants.asp Baker Environmental Nursery http://bakerenvironmentalnursery.com/index.html Blue Thumb http://www.bluethumb.org/ Emerald Coast Growers http://www.ecgrowers.com/Aquatic-Plants-s/39.htm Environmental Concern www.wetland.org/nursery_plantlist.htm Florida Aquatic Nurseries http://www.floridaaquatic.com/ Georgia Storm Water Manual http://www.georgiastormwater.com/vol2/F.pdf Natives Neighborhood, http://regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/default.asp
N C Wetland Plants http://www.coastalplainnursery.com/pdf/SWW%20plants.pdf
Splash - Splash Web Site http://www.abbey-associates.com/splash-splash Credits Prepared for the new Wetlands Golf Course, Lafayette, Louisiana Credits Special thanks to the photographers who have supplied images for this document.
.