THANK YOU! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Bayou Preservation Association (BPA) is grateful to the following individuals, organizations and companies for contributing to the creation and update of this publication. Concept, Text, Editing & Production Author, Mark Bowen Judy Boyce, Ralph De Leon, The Garden Club of Houston, Terry Hershey, Steve Hupp, Kathy Lord, Mickey Merritt, Marina Rossow, Eric Ruckstuhl, Evelyn Shanley, Kevin Shanley, Brenda Buest Smith, BAYOU PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION MISSION: Carolyn White and Mary Ellen Whitworth Protect and restore the richness and diveresity of our waterways through activism, advocacy, collaboration and education. Photography Armand Bayou Nature Center, Brazos Bend State Park, THE BAYOU PLANTING GUIDE THIS GUIDE BELONGS TO The Chickadee Nature Store, The Houston Advanced Research Center, The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, NAME The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Treesearch Farms and photographers ADDRESS Lucy Barrow, Georgia Carter, Ralph De Leon, Martha Henschen, Robert Rayburn, Eric Ruckstuhl and Heidi Sheesley DATE Printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. FUNDED BY THE GARDEN CLUB OF HOUSTON 3rd Revision, Printed February 2014 2 3 FOREWORD is intended to help concerned citizens and agencies In the case of Buffalo Bayou, George Mitchell, then recapture some of these surrendered attributes and president of the BPA, enlisted the help of Congressman by Terry Hershey prevent further degradation. George H.W. Bush, who requested the Army Corps of Engineers conduct a re-study of the plan in 1966 and Preservation of our precious few unaltered streams, 1967. Subsequently, the Corps withdrew its structural generally tributaries to the main bayous and upper solution. In the 1970’s, the Corps began to heed the Terry Hershey co-founder of Buffalo Bayous, is critical. Through restoration efforts, call for nonstructural solutions to riverine flooding. In the Bayou Preservation Association, bayou corridors can become affective again in providing other states, previously concreted waterways were being board member of the Association rainwater absorption, floodwater management, pollutant restored to their natural condition. of Floodplain Managers filtration, air and climate quality improvement through Foundation and the National planting efforts, and vital natural habitats for the wildlife What was once perceived as a “green” environmental Recreation Foundation, and former that shares our space. issue is now also recognized as an important economic Commissioner of the Texas Parks issue. Expenditures that were once devoted to altering and Wildlife Commission Revitalization of a portion of Buffalo Bayou, from Mother Nature’s rivers are now directed toward Shepherd to the Turning Basin, has been proposed changing our previous detrimental behavior. Through in conjunction with the 2002 Thompson Design Plan, the Federal Flood Insurance Program, some relief is sponsored by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. This plan being granted to those already improvidently located ats off to the Garden Club of Houston for has the potential to restore some of the attributes of in the floodplain. Efforts are also underway to prevent providing a grant to Bayou Preservation a river and provides an economic boost to an under- additional imprudent development. In Harris County, Association for this edition of the Bayou utilized section of downtown to the Turning Basin. repetitive losses due to flooding place a serious strain Planting Guide. A special thank you to Texas on private and public budgets. Both the Harris County Forest Service for underwriting and to Bayou The Memorial Park Demonstration Project along Flood Control District and FEMA are now buying out HPreservation Association for sponsoring the first bayou Memorial Park and River Oaks Country Club is planned repeatedly flooded properties and removing high-risk planting guide. The guide is created for citizens who to restore a portion of Buffalo Bayou to a more natural and buildings as quickly as funding permits. own land along one of the bayous, for those who have sustainable configuration with fluvial geomorphologic detention swales, diversion swales, rain gardens and/ features and native plantings. Finally, this planting guide comes as a crucial and or ponds on their properties and for agencies who have overdue endeavor. It is important for the owners and some responsibility for bayou maintenance. A citizen-pushed endeavor, termed the Quality of Life managers of property along our bayous to realize that Coalition, has pinpointed the economic value of our to continue enjoying bayou views and other benefits, we Since 1912, water and land use experts have riverine system. Knowledge of native vegetation, trees, must work together with nature to preserve and restore encouraged Harris County, the City of Houston and and plants is critical to efforts to protect and restore our streambanks. the greater Houston area to better utilize our extensive watersheds. bayou system, which extends through 22 watersheds. This publication provides essential knowledge. Mindful Our bayou corridors can and should serve a vital role In November 2012, City of Houston voters passed a of the Association of State Floodplain Manager’s providing parklands, open green spaces and water resolution by a wide margin to establish more park space mantra, “No Adverse Impact,” we must remember that amenities. along our bayous with the “Parks By You” referendum. our impact on the land in bayou watersheds affects those What a resounding endorsement of the value of our who live downstream. Plans and warnings have often been ignored over the bayous! years resulting in missed opportunities to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of our community. The Bayou Preservation Association was incorporated In recent years, knowledge regarding the hydrological as a tax-deductible nonprofit organization in 1966 by value of the bayou system and its ecological and a group of citizens alarmed by what was happening economic significance has emerged as an important to our rivers. The organization began an effort to “We all look at Nature too much, tool for use in urban planning. protect Buffalo Bayou from the concreted fates of Brays and live with her too little.” Bayou and White Oak Bayou. Knowledge of fluvial Unfortunately, many of our bayous have been altered geomorphology, the study of riverine landforms, was - Oscar Wilde through straightening, stripping of bank-holding becoming increasingly important. Locally, people began vegetation and lining with concrete bottoms as well as to recognize that straightening and stripping rivers of grass and concrete lined banks – practices that make it their curves and vegetation contributed to downstream difficult to restore the bayous usefulness. This publication flood transference. 4 5 6 INTRODUCTION sediments and pollutants from runoff; and promoting bank stability. by Carolyn White and Steve Hupp While there is some regulatory protection for wetlands through a permit process, many smaller wetlands THE avigating the greater Houston area, from and especially riparian corridors are not adequately prairie uplands and edges of the piney protected by existing laws and their enforcement. BAYOU woods to coastal wetlands and bays, the Development trends also constrain land available to PLANTING waterways of our region host a diverse support freshwater wetlands in the Houston area. mix of plants and wildlife unmatched in GUIDE Nits richness. These bayous, along with their associated Loss of saltwater wetlands along the wetlands, provide connections between unique habitats. upper Texas coast and bays has These riparian areas are also vital to maintaining water resulted from land subsidence TABLE OF CONTENTS quality, buffering flood risk potential, providing nurseries due to geologic compaction of for fish, controlling erosion and supporting recreational ancient coastal plain sediments, pursuits. hastened by extraction of oil, Acknowledgment ....................... 3 gas and groundwater. Freshwater Wetlands are transitional areas between uplands and inflows required to support estuarine Foreword ................................. 4 water. They host water-dependent vegetation in their wetlands along the bays of the upper Introduction .............................. 7 water-logged soils. Within the greater Houston area, Gulf Coast region are also threatened. The increases there are three major types of wetlands: tidal or estuarine in impervious cover from development has reduced the Tips ...................................... 10 wetlands located along the coast, freshwater wetlands of infiltration of rainfall and reduced the amount of shallow the prairies and flat woods, and forested wetlands along groundwater that also supports riparian habitats. Large Trees ............................. 22 rivers and bayous. Medium to Small Trees .............. 33 It is important for individual landowners to act as stew- Systematic changes in wetland plant species follow the ards by fostering healthy riparian and wetland vegeta- Shrubs .................................. 38 transition from inland freshwater habitats to coastal tion on their properties. This guide provides a key to Succulents .............................. 48 saltwater habitats as two critical parameters change, the native vegetation associated with riparian habitats salinity and elevation above the water surface. Changes in the Houston region for the purposes of conservation Grasses ................................. 50 in