Wetland and Riparian Zones
Wetland and riparian zones are recognized as being important parts of our environment. They are a critical element in converting solar energy into to food. And their plants and small organisms are a vital link in the food chain. It is estimated that 40 - 50 percent of our original wetlands have been lost or degraded through development and poor land use. Fortunately, this has been recognized and attention is being paid to the remaining wetlands and the restoration of damaged areas. Wetlands are inundated or saturated areas suppporting vegetation which can live under such conditions. Swamps, bogs, marshes, and tidal flats are examples of wetlands. Plants associated with them vary depending on the amount of open water, fresh or salt, seasonal nature of the moisture, elevation and like factors. You may find Pondweed, Duckweed, or Yellow Pond-lily on the surface of open waters. Skunk Cabbage, Coltsfoot and Pitcher Plant live in wet woods and bogs. Ponds and swamps are usually surrounded by plants that make the transition to drier conditions. Cattails, Sedges and Rushes, Wapato and Rice Grass in the wetter sites, then Oregon Ash, Willows, Snowberry, Kalmia, Spirea and a host of other familiar trees and shrubs Riparian refers to the banks of a stream, river, or technically, a pond or lake. Most of us have seen barren, eroded or blackberry choked stream banks, and many of us have seen the lush, lively and secure banks of an undamaged stream. One of Plant Oregon's goals is to help restore damaged sites by offering advice and providing appropriate plant material. Properly functioning, Wetlands and Riparian areas serve many purposes: Water filtration--trapping and containing pollutants,sediments and chemicalsGroundwater storage--slowing the flow of surface water so that it can recharge the subsoilFlood control--wetlands absorb and store large amounts of water which can then be released into streams slowly, during dry periodsErosion control--wetlands prevent washing away of soils by excessive water or wave actionFood Chain Support--high productivity of plants and animals and solar energy conversionFisheries enhancement--habitat for spawning, healthy food chain operation, shade and stream bed structureAesthetic, cultural and recreational values---Birdwatching, photography, connection with the natural world.Dynamic systems, Streams and wetlands are constantly changing. Storms, droughts, seasonal changes, human activity, all contribute to the stresses plants in riparian and wetland areas experience. Inundation during high water periods followed by prolonged exposure, drying and high temperatures, as well as the deposition of silt or the erosion of root areas, mean plants must be highly adaptable. The plants listed below represent some of those that are naturally found in such sites, and that are generally available at Plant Oregon. Descriptions of these plants can be found in the Catalog.
TREES:
Acer circinatum.......................................Vine Maple
Acer glabrum............................................Douglas Maple
Acer macrophyllum.......................................Big Leaf Maple
Alnus rubra...........................................Red Alder
Alnus sinuata.........................................Sitka Alder
Alnus tenuifolia......................................Thinleaf Alder
Betula glandulosa......................................Bog Birch
Betula occidentalis....................................Water Birch
Calocedrus decurrens.....................................Incense Cedar
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana..............................Port Orford Cedar
Fraxinus latifolia..................................Oregon Ash
Picea engelmanni......................................Engleman Spruce
Pinus ponderosa.......................................Ponderosa Pine
Populus tremuloides.....................................Quaking Aspen
Populus trichocarpa..................................Black Cottonwood
Pseudotsuga menziesii.................................Douglas Fir
Thuja plicata........................................Western Red Cedar
Tsuga heterophylla.....................................Western Hemlock
UNDERSTORY SHRUBS:
Cornus stolonifera....................................Redtwig Dogwood
Holodiscus discolor..............................Ocean Spray
Lonicera involucrata...................................Twinflower
Mahonia aquifolium...................................Oregon Grape
Philadelphus lewisii...............................Mock Orange
Physocarpus capitatus.......................................Pacific Ninebark
Ribes alpinum.................................Alpine Currant
Ribes aureum..................................Golden Currant
Ribes nevadensis..........................Mountain Pink Currant
Ribes sanguineum.........................Red-flowering Currant
Rosa nutkana.................................Nootka Rose
Rosa pisocarpa............................Clustered Rose
Rosa woodsii...............................Wood's Rose
Rubus parviflorus..................................Thimbleberry
Salix species...........................Locally collected willows
Salix scouleriana................................Scouler's Willow
S. lasiandra..............................Red Willow
S. exigua.....................................Coyote Willow
Sambucus mexicana (S. caerulea).............Blue Elderberry
Sambucus racemosa...........................Red Elderberry
Spirea douglasii...........................Douglas Spirea
Symphoricarpos albus...............................Snowberry
GROUNDCOVERS AND HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Carex obnupta......................................Slough Sedge
Dicentra formosa..................Wild Bleeding Heart
Festuca idahoensis.........................Idaho Fescue
Galium oreganum.........................Sweet Woodruff (Oregon Bedstraw)
Juncus effusus..................................Soft Rush
Lupinus species..........................Lupine species
Mahonia repens............................Creeping Oregon Grape
Pteridium aquilinum.........................Bracken Fern
Symphoricarpos mollis.....................Creeping Snowberry
Typha latifolia........................................Cattail
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