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Home» Nature » Natural Landscaping » Lakescaping: Planting & Maintaining Shorelines

Lakescaping: Planting & Maintaining Shorelines

What is Lakescaping?

Lakescaping is a comprehensive strategy for managing shorelines of lakes, ponds, or other wet areas. The main premise behind lakescaping is to restore(or maintain) the shoreline while creating a “buffer zone” between the aquatic and terrestrial areas. Buffer zones restore the ecological integrity and function of a shoreline that are greatly reduced by traditional “lawn-friendly” landscapes. A buffer zone of native plants will add great interest to a landscape by providing variance in color, texture, and habitat for wildlife. Lakescaping provides areas for wildlife for nesting, perching, and feeding.

What are the Benefits of Lakescaping?

Shoreline with significant erosion prior to Lakescaping to stabilize the lake's edge.

  • Reduces soil erosion
  • Acts as a filter between lawns and lakes
  • Acts as a water purifier
  • Reduces the amount of high maintenance lawn areas
  • Increase in wildlife
  • Can deter pests like Canadian Geese

Lakescaping Maintenance

A good lakescaping plan will reduce the amount of mowing, watering, and chemical needed on a site. The most important part of maintenance is weeding. Diligent weeding is essential for the first few seasons. Perennials should not be cut down in fall like other garden perennials. They will provide shelter over the winter for wildlife. The buffer zone can also block leaves from blowing into the water area in fall. Some amount of change needs to be expected as water levels and weather patterns change over time. Some plants will thrive while others may be out-competed.

Other Helpful Hints

A good plan should include a variety of native trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, sedges, emergents, and submergents. The plantings should cover at least 75% of the shoreline leaving enough room for docks, swimming, and other needs. It may take the entire first year to control the invasive weeds before planting even begins.

Preferred Plants for Lakescaping

Trees

Acer rubrum (red maple)
Alnus incana (speckled alder)
Betula nigra (river birch)
Fraxinus nigra (black ash)
Larix laricina (tamarack)
Picea mariana (black spruce)
Quercus bicolor (swamp white oak)
Salix spp. (willow)

 

Shrubs

Amelanchier spp. (serviceberry)
Andromeda spp. (bog rosemary)
Aronia melanocarpa (chokeberry)
Cornus alternifolia (pagoda dogwood)
Cornus sericea (red-osier dogwood)
Diervilla lonicera (bush honeysuckle)
Ilex verticillata (winterberry)
Sambucus pubens (elderberry)
Salix discolor (pussy willow)
Viburnum lentago (nannyberry)
Viburnum trilobum (high bush cranberry)

Perennials

Angelica atropurpurea (angelica)
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit)
Asclepias incarnate (marsh milkweed)
Aster novae-angliae (New England aster)
Aster puniceus (red-stem aster)
Chelone glabra (turtlehead)
Eupatorium maculatum (Joe-pye weed)
Gentiana andrewsii (bottle gentian)
Iris versicolor (blue flag iris)
Liatris pycnostachya (blazing star)
Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower)
Mertensia virginica (Virginia blue bells)
Mimulus ringens (monkey flower)
Osmundo cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Physostegia virginiana (obedient plant)
Pycnanthemum virgininamum (mount. mint)
Scuttellaria galericulata (marsh scull cap)
Thalictrum dasycarpum (tall meadow rue)
Verbena hastate (blue vervain)
Veronia fasiculata (ironweed)
Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s root)


Grasses

Andropogan gerardii (big bluestem)
Calamagrostis canadensis (blue joint)
Elymus canadensis (Canadian wild rye)
Eriophorum spissum (cotton grass)
Glyceria grandis (giant manna grass)
Panicum virgatum (switch grass)
Sorgastrum nutans (Indian grass)
Spartina pectinata (prairie cord grass)

Sedges & Rushes

Carex comosa (bottlebrush sedge)
Carex lacustris (lake sedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)
Eleocaris smallii (spiked-beak rush)
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Scirpus acutus (hardstem bulrush)
Scirpus atrovirens (dark green bulrush)
Scirpus cyperinus (wool grass)

Emergents & Submergents

Acorus calanus (sweet flag)
Alisma plantago (water plantain)
Brasenia schreberi (water shield)
Calla palustris (wild calla)
Cicuta maculate (water hemlock)
Nelumbo lutea (American lotus)
Nuphar luteum (yellow pond lily)
Polygonum pensylvanicum (smartweed)
Pontederia cordata (pickerel weed)
Ranunculus flabellaris (buttercup)
Rumex orbiculatus (water dock)
Saggittaria latifolia (arrowhead)


Invasive Plants to Manage

Glossy buckthorn
Purple loosestrife
Smooth brome grass
Reed canary grass
Broad-leaf cattail
Leafy spurge
Crown vetch
Queen Anne’s lace
Sweet clover
Bird’s foot trefoil

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