Wetland Plants

Wetland Plants

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Category: Wetland Plants

The hardy, deciduous shrub, Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a species of Holly native to the US, found East of the Mississippi ranging from Alabama to southern Canada, in swamps, wet woods and other areas with evenly moist, acidic soil.  Ranging in size from 8 to 12 feet in width and height, the Winterberry is also used in gardens as a cheery winter ornamental, thriving both in rain gardens and dryer soils, hence its Facilitative Wetland designation of "Usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands".   Winterberry propagates both by suckering and flowering.  As with the Spicebush, at least one male plant must be planted within pollination distance to females for them to bear fruit. Unlike the evergreen Holly, the Winterberry's leaves turn black at first frost and entirely loses it leaves -making its clusters of red berries even more striking on bare branches in the early winter.

Beyond its utility as an important source of food for nearly 50 species of birds and small mammals, its berries and branches are also used for fall wreathes and flower arrangements.  In the Berkshires, Massachusetts garden centers sell a small bouquet of  Winterberry for $7 - a well filled 5 gallon bucket is around $30  - you can even pick your own.

Visit the gallery page at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for some great photos of the plant and berries.

Sources and Further Reading:

http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ilve

http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/winberry.htm

 

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ILVE

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Category: Wetland Plants
2019 Update - good article about Knotweed in Slate magazine.
 
 
Japanese Knotweed, never the prettiest plant either by reputation or looks, has been more noticeable the past few weeks on the margins of  I-95 and local roads, having just finished flowering. It has been identified as being an invasive pest for over 100 years, I recall it alongside streams as a kid, and thinking it was bamboo. My friends and I would run through  knotweed thickets and use the stems as swords and spears. Today its much more widespread -  and just as pernicious.  Fortunately for small blessing, since there are only female Japanese knotweed plants, the presence of flowers doesn't mean its reproducing since there is no fertilization via pollen. This is certainly not to say that Japanese knotweed cannot colonize new areas, it  spreads quite readily via cuttings and rhizomes.  A piece of root the size of a dime is enough create a new plant, and begin colonizing a susceptible area.
 
In the UK, it  endemic and has been much more visible battle, to the point that any soil with knotweed roots is considered contaminated, and must be disposed of properly.  Yes, it is that pernicious.  There is now a requirement during the mortgage process that the owner has to certify that the property is either knotweed free or it is being actively treated.
 
The best practice for eradication is spray, cut and repeat annually.   The process must be repeated for 5 years to be declared knotweed free.   Why is it  so difficult to get rid of?  One answer - its rhizomes, or roots.  The roots, a large misshapen mass, stretch for  yards in every direction, sits underneath the stems as a source of energy, and has enough strength to push its shoots through any crack.  If the foliage and stems are removed, the plant has enough energy stored in its roots to push up additional stems, again and again.  Once the stems are through the soil, photosyntheisis takes over and the energy that was expended by the roots to push up the stems, can now be replenished easily due to its fast growth.
 
Sources and Further Reading:
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/knotweed.shtml
http://wiki.bugwood.org/Archive:BCIPEUS/Japanese_Knotweed
 

Details
Category: Wetland Plants

Common name: Common Spicebush
Scientific name: Lindera benzoin

Out of season, a Spicebush plant can easily be overlooked, but it’s a good illustration of the variability and importance of plants in a wetland.  The Spicebush is an aromatic, understory shrub which typically grows between 5-10 feet and found in wooded bottomlands, low swamps, and along streams. Like most shrubs, Spicebush has many trunks, and is colonial, or spreads asexually via its roots.  Alternatively, the spice bush can also reproduce sexually, as there are both male and female plants (dioecious), something of an oddity in the botanical world.  (It is estimated that only 4% -7% of plants are dioecious.)

The shrubs name derives from the spicy/lemony fragrance of the stems, leaves, and fruits when bruised.  It has some limited food value as a flavoring or adding scent, but it had been used as an indicator species by early settlers to locate fertile soil.

Beyond its scent, the shrubs other identifying feature are its fruits, or drupes.  The drupes are shiny red berries which are eaten by many birds, particularly thrushes, and wildlife. The drupes mature between  August and October, and only appear on the female plant if it has been fertilized.

The leaves are dark green, alternate, pointy-tipped, oval-shaped stalked leaves smooth edges that range between 2 and 6 inches long.  The Spicebush is one of the first bushes to bloom in March or April, and produces  small, pale yellow flowers.  During the fall, the leaves turn yellow.

The Spicebush is also a host plant to butterflies in the swallowtail family, especially the Spicebush Swallowtail and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail who lay eggs on the underside of the leaves.  When a caterpillar emerges from an egg, it wraps the leaf around itself like a jacket, safely spending most of the day in its leaf shelter, leaving only at night to eat.

The Spicebush It is found throughout east Texas, Oklahoma and eastward through all of the Atlantic states and as far north as Maine and southern Canada.


Spicebush with yellow fall foliageSpicebush Berries



Additional reading and sources:

http://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/american-spicebush.aspx#ixzz32nLSUes8

http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/spicebush.htm

http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Spicebush.html

USDA Plants Database. Plant Guide “Spicebush: Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume.” http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_libe3.pdf

http://www.herbsociety.org/herbs/documents/Linderabenzoin_000.pdf

http://gardeninacity.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/spicebush-berries/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_sexuality

Photos copyright  USDA, NRCS. 2014. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 May 2014). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

 

Wetlands in the News

19 April 2024