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Restoring Ravine and Bluff Slopes
Reintroducing native ravine plants is important in restoring the natural character
of the ravines. Over the years, many non-native plants have been introduced
into the ravine systems. Frequently, they are more aggressive than native
species and
take over sections of the ravine.
Nonnative trees such as Buckthorn and Norway Maple create a dense
canopy and heavy shade, eliminating growth on the slopes. Removing
the root systems of that growth exposes the steep slopes to accelerated
erosion from water runoff.
This page provides suggested plants for ravine and bluff restoration
as well as slope stabilization.
For more information, please contact the Highland Park City Forester
at 847-926-1149. Select Native
Ravine Plants for Restoration
|
|
| Key |
|
Location |
Light |
Water |
U
- Upland
C - Ravine Crest
S - Ravine Slope
B - Ravine Bottom |
S
- Sun
PS - Partial Shade
SH - Shade |
D
- Dry
M - Moist
W - Wet |
|
| Shade
Trees |
| Common
Name |
Botanical
Name |
Location |
Light |
Water |
Comments |
| Red Maple |
Acer
rubrum |
U, C |
S,
PS, SH |
M |
Red
fall color; pH sensitive |
| Silver
Maple |
Acer saccharinum |
S,
B |
S, PS, SH |
M,
W |
Fast growing |
| Sugar
Maple |
Acer saccharum |
U,
C, S |
S, PS, SH |
M |
Orange fall color; excellent
shade tree |
| Shabbark
Hickory |
Carya ovata |
U,
C |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Beautiful bark; slow growing |
| American Beech |
Fagus
grandifolia |
S |
PS,
SH |
M |
Mulched
bed; stately tree |
| White Ash |
Fraxinus americana |
U,
C, S |
S, PS |
M |
Fall
color |
| Black Walnut |
Juglans
nigra |
U |
S |
D,
M |
Moderate growth; allelopathic |
| White Pine |
Pinus strobus |
U, C |
S,
PS |
D |
Lake
bluffs and openings |
| Cottonwood |
Populus deltoides |
B |
S |
M,
W |
Good in sun along creeks |
| White Oak |
Quercus Alba |
U, C |
S |
D |
State tree; dominant in
uplands; pH sensitive |
| Swamp
White Oak |
Quercus bicolor |
U,
B |
S |
M,
W |
Interesting bark |
| Bur
Oak |
Quercus macrocarpa |
U,
C |
S |
D |
Upland;
openings |
| Red Oak |
Quercus
rubra |
U, C, S |
S,
PS |
M |
Fall
color; moderate growth |
| American
Basswood |
Tilia americana |
S,
B |
S, PS, SH |
M |
Very shade tolerant, big
leaf |
| Intermediate
Trees |
| Common
Name |
Botanical
Name |
Location |
Light |
Water |
Comments |
| Serviceberry |
Amelanchier
laevis |
U, C, S |
S,
PS, SH |
D, M |
Good wildlife value; flowers;
fall color |
| Paper
Birch |
Betula papyrifera |
S |
S |
D,
M |
Subject to borers; beautiful
white
bark |
| Hornbeam |
Carpinus
caroliniana |
U, S, B |
S,
PS, SH |
M |
'Muscular' bark; yellow
fall color |
| Pagoda
Dogwood |
Cornus alternifolia |
S,
B |
PS, SH |
M,
W |
Flowers; fall color |
| Hophornbeam |
Ostrya
virginiana |
U, C, S |
S,
PS, SH |
D, M |
Durable; looks like a young
elm |
| Black
cherry |
Prunus serotina |
U,
C |
S |
D |
Flowers; bird food |
| Shrubs |
| Common
Name |
Botanical
Name |
Location |
Light |
Water |
Comments |
| Grey Dogwood |
Cornus
racemosa |
U, C, S, B |
S,
PS |
D, M |
Berries; fall color; colonizing
habit |
| Redosier
Dogwood |
Cornus Stolonifera |
B |
S |
W |
Red
stems in winter |
| Busy Honeysuckle |
Diervilla lonicera |
U,
C |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Good low shrub for crest |
| Common Witchhazel |
Hamamelis
virginiana |
U, C, S, B |
S,
PS, SH |
D, M |
Fall bloom; common shrub
in ravines |
| Red
Vine Honeysuckle |
Lonicera dioica |
C |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Beautiful flower; vine;
hard to find |
|
Wild Plum
|
Prunus
americana |
U, C |
S, PS |
D |
Sunny
openings; white flowers |
| Chokeberry |
Prunus virginiana |
U,
C, S |
S, PS, SH |
D,
M |
Shady slopes, clump forming |
| Sandbar willow |
Salix
interior |
B |
S |
W |
Sunny openings on creek
banks |
| Nannyberry
Viburnum |
Viburnum lentago |
U,
S, B |
S, PS, SH |
M,
W |
Flowers; fruit |
| Blackhaw
Viburnum |
Viburnum prunifolium |
U,
C |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Flowers; fall color |
| Grass
and Sedges |
| Common
Name |
Botanical
Name |
Location |
Light |
Water |
Comments |
| Pennsylvania Sedge |
Carex
pensylvanica |
U, C, S |
S,
PS |
D, M |
Groundcover in uplands;
grass-like |
| Canada
Wild Rye |
Elymus canadensis |
U,
C |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Interesting seed head |
| Fowl Manna Grass |
Glyceria
striata |
U, B |
S,
PS, SH |
W |
Wet
woods |
| Bottlebrush Grass |
Hystrix
patula |
U, C, S |
S,
PS |
D, M |
Pretty
seed head |
| Panic
Grass |
Panicum implicatum |
U,
C |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Upland openings |
| Wild
Flowers |
| Common
Name |
Botanical
Name |
Location |
Light |
Water |
Comments |
| Columbine |
Aquilegia
canadensis |
C, S |
S,
PS |
D, M |
Hummingbird
favorite |
| Marsh Marigold |
Caltha
palustris |
U, B |
S,
PS |
W |
Beautiful spring flower
along creeks |
| Shooting
Star |
Dodecatheon meadia |
U, C, S |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Unique flower; goes dormant |
| Sharp-Lobed Hepatica |
Hepatica
acutiloba |
C |
PS |
D, M |
Early
spring bloomer |
| Blue Phlox |
Phlox divaricata |
U,
C, S |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Beautiful blue flowers |
| May Apple |
Podophyllum
peltatum |
U, C, S |
PS,
SH |
D, M |
Colonizing
ground cover |
| Solomon's Seal |
Polygonatum biflorum |
U,
C, S |
PS, SH |
D,
M |
Nice texture en masse |
| Bloodroot |
Sanguinaria
canadensis |
U, C, S |
PS,
SH |
M |
Good groundcover; white
flower |
| False
Solomon's Seal |
Smilacina racemosa |
U,
C, S |
PS, SH |
D,
M |
Nice flower and berries |
| White Trillium |
Trillium
grandiflorum |
U, C, S |
S,
PS, SH |
D, M |
Showy
big white flowers |
| Prairie
Trillium |
Trillium recurvatum |
U,
C, S |
S, PS, SH |
D,
M |
Mottled leaf; maroon flower |
| Big Merrybells |
Uvularia
grandiflora |
S |
PS,
SH |
D, M |
Yellow
drooping flower |
| Groundcovers |
| Common
Name |
Botanical
Name |
Location |
Light |
Water |
Comments |
| Wild Ginger |
Asarum
canadense |
S |
PS,
SH |
M |
Good
Groundcover |
| Pennsylvania Sedge |
Carex pensylvanica |
U,
C, S |
S, PS, SH |
D,
M |
Looks like small tufts
of grass |
| Horsetail |
Equisetum
arvense |
B |
PS |
W |
Creek's
edge; seeps |
| Trout Lily |
Erythronium
albidum |
U, C, S |
PS,
SH |
D, M |
Colonizer;
goes dormant |
| Swamp Buttercup |
Ranunculus
septentrionalis |
U, B |
S,
PS |
W |
Rapid growth
in wet openings |
| Early Meadow
Rue |
Thalictrum
dioicum |
U,
C, S |
PS, SH |
D,
M |
Delicate foliage;
good for
small massing |
| Native
Ferns |
Various sp.
ferns |
U, S, B |
PS, SH |
D,
M, W |
Nice texture |
| Violets |
Viola
sp. |
U, C, S, B |
PS,
SH |
D, M, W |
Spreading;
nice flowers |
| Non-Native
Groundcovers (may be invasive) |
| Common
Name |
Botanical
Name |
Location |
Light |
Water |
Comments |
| Lily of the Valley |
Convallaria
majalis |
C, S |
PS,
SH |
D, M |
Wonderful scented white
flower |
| Purpleleaf
Wintercreeper |
Euonymus coloratus |
U,
C, S |
S, PS |
D,
M |
Evergreen; quick spreading |
| Orange Daylily |
Hemerocallis
fulva |
U, C, S |
S,
PS |
D, M |
Orange
flowers in sun |
| Myrtle |
Vinca
minor |
U, C, S |
S, PS, SH |
D, M |
Evergreen;
blue flowers |
Plants
That Should Not Be Used In Ravines:
(due to their invasiveness or excessive
shade production) |
| Common
Name |
Botanical
Name |
| Norway Maple |
Acer
platanoides |
| Honeysuckle |
Lonicera
sp. |
| Buckthorn |
Rhamnus
sp. |
| Goutweed |
Aegopodium
sp. |
| Fleeceflower |
Polygonum
sp. |
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