Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Monday - March 26, 2012
From: Charlottesville, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Rain Gardens, Erosion Control
Title: Riverbank retention in VA
Answered by: Anne Bossart
QUESTION:
I need some groundcover/bank retention for a Virginia riverbank in mixed sun and shade. I want to plant something native to VA. the area is out of the water but subject to occasional (4-5 times per year) flooding. Rocky,sandy soil. When it floods it sometimes leaves sand, but more often removes it, which is why I want to plant something to retain the soil and help prevent erosion. Thank you very much.ANSWER:
The best plants to stabilize a bank and prevent erosion are plants like grasses that have fibrous root systems and shrubs and perennials that spread with runners to form thickets.
You can find suitable plants by doing a Combination Search on our Native Plant database. Select Virginia, the plant habit and your conditions (part shade). It sounds like the soil is quite dry except when it floods, so select dry conditions. The list that is generated has links to detailed information pages for each plant. You can then check which plants are adaptable enough to tolerate the wet conditions of flooding as well.
As your conditions are very much like those in a rain garden, you will find a very informative article the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has published about rain gardens as well as a plant list , helpful. You can cross reference between the lists you generate and those on their list.
Here are a few plants to consider:
Rhus aromatica (Fragrant sumac)
Amorpha fruticosa (Indigo bush)
Grasses with deep fibrous roots:
Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem)
Andropogon glomeratus (Bushy bluestem)
Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats grama)
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little bluestem)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)
From the Image Gallery
More Rain Gardens Questions
Landscaping recommendations for site in Dubuque, IA
March 27, 2010 - I need a seed recommendation. Here are the variables:
Location: Dubuque, IA (east Central Iowa)
Soil type: Sandy to sandy and gravelly. Part is a riverbank facing east. Steep bank then flat to ...
view the full question and answer
Looking for native plants for a rain garden in Arlington, TX.
March 12, 2012 - I am looking for native Texas plants that would do well in rain gardens. Do you have any suggestions?
view the full question and answer
School Rain Garden in Iowa
January 08, 2013 - Could you recommend plants for a rain garden to be installed on a middle school campus in the Council Bluffs Iowa area????
Many thanks!
view the full question and answer
Rain garden plants for Central Texas
February 06, 2014 - Do you have a list of rain garden plants for Central Texas?
view the full question and answer
Raingarden Plants for Brownsville, TX
March 14, 2014 - I'm a Landscape Architect in South Texas and I'm implementing raingardens and vegetated swales in my projects. What native plants could be used in these gardens/water runways. They would need to res...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |