| Dogwoods |
|
red-osier
dogwood (Cornus sericea)
silky dogwood (Cornus ammomum)
gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) |
Cousins of
the familiar flowering dogwood - a small tree of the eastern deciduous
forest - these dogwoods are bushy shrubs that grow naturally in moist
soils along streams and in wetlands. They will form dense thickets,
providing good nesting, cover and food for wildlife and stability to
streambanks. They are easily grown from cuttings. |
|
|
| Viburnums |
|
arrowood
viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)
southern wild raison (Viburnum
cassinoides) |
Members of
the honeysuckle family, viburnum varieties are widely used in
landscaping. However, as with many of our native plants, the species
used here are not usually among those available in nurseries. These
shrubs form thickets, sometimes dense, and their fruit (a blue or black
berry) are food for wildlife. |
|
|
| Willows |
|
sandbar
willow (Salix exigua)
heart-leaved willow (Salix eriocephala)
black willow (Salix nigra) |
Many
members of this family are shrubs. In fact, the black willow is our
only native tree-size willow. The flexible branches, deep roots, and
ability to sprout from twigs make these plants well adapted to
flooding. Willows are among the best woody plants for streambank
stabilization and there are many species to choose from. Thickets of
willow provide good cover and the twigs and buds are valuable browse
for a number of animals. |
|
|
| Maples |
|
red maple
(Acer rubrum)
box elder (Acer negundo) |
This is a
family of mostly deciduous trees. The two species listed here are often
found near water - box elder along streams and rivers and red maple in
swamps and other wetlands. They tolerate flooding and supply shade to
the stream as well as habitat and food for birds and wildlife. |
|
|
| Ashes |
|
| green ash
(Fraxinus pensylvanica) |
Members of
the olive family found throughout much of the eastern deciduous forest,
ashes are commercial trees used for lumber and furniture. Green ash is
often found in lower valleys where soils are moist. The small winged
fruit are eaten by birds, especially grosbeaks and other finches. |
|
|
| Hornbeam |
|
| American
hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) |
This
member of the birch family grows often along streams and on floodplains
where soils are moist. It grows as a small, spreading tree and may form
colonies. It is tolerant of flooding and provides valuable shade to
streams and adjacent habitats. |
|
|
| Herbs |
|
cardinal
flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
oxeye sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
blue vervain (Verbena hastate)
fox sedge (Carex vulpinoidea)
fringed sedge (Carex crinita) |
All of
these non-woody or herbaceous plants are found in moist areas, often
along streams or in wet meadows. With many other species, these herbs
form the natural “lawn” that grows beneath the
trees and shrubs on floodplains. They help to hold the soil together
and absorb water along with the roots of the woody plants. They add
enormously to the diversity of an area and supply food and shelter to
insects and other small animals. |
|
|
