Message from Cherie Hogan, SMLA President
For members who are concerned or have had issues in the past with shoreline erosion either from high lake levels or storm run-offs or wakes from bigger boats you may want to consider planting a portion of your frontage with shrubs or plants that would minimize future shoreline damage. The following is a list of plants most of which are carried by our local nurseries (should you want larger specimens). Otherwise, Wetlands Nursery will ship smaller plants right to your door.
- Acorus calamus (Sweetflag), Alisma subcordata (Water plantain), Calla palistris (wildcalla), Carex aquatilis (water sedge), Iris versicolor (Blue flag iris), Juncus Balticus (Baltic rush), Juncus effusus (soft rush), Juncus torreyii (torrey’s rush), Lysimachia terrestris (swamp candles), Menyanthes trifoliata (buckbean), Nuphar advana (spatterdock), Nymphaea tuberosa (white water lily), Peltandra virginica (arrow arum), Pontederia cordata (pickerel weed), Sagittaria Latifolia (arrowleaf), Sagittaria rigida (stiff arrowleaf), Scripus acutus (hard-stemmed bulrush), Scripus pungens (3-squared rush), Scripus validus (solft-stemmed bulrush), Sparganium eurycarpum (burreed), Uticularia cornuta (bladderwort).
A couple of beautiful shrubs to consider are red osier dogwood, highbush cranberry, and winterberry. The best thing about these plants are that they are native and if planted close enough to the water you should never have to water them!!!!