Using Plants for Stormwater Management

A Green Infrastructure Guide for the Gulf South

Dana Nunez Brown

• Publisher: LSU Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9780807155684
• eBook ISBN:
  9780807155691
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Urban Planning & Landscaping

The subtropical climate of the Gulf South supports a varied abundance of flora, and this diversity is sustained by the ample amount of rainwater that characterizes the region. Managing rainwater in a planned environment and mitigating its effect on human habitation can test the skills of even the most seasoned landscape architect or designer. That challenge has never been more acute as increased human demand for natural resources compels professionals and home gardeners alike to seek out sustainable ecological solutions.
In this guidebook, Dana Nunez Brown details ways to manage each drop of rainwater where it falls, using a cost-effective and environmentally sensitive approach. Under natural conditions, rainfall primarily percolates into the ground and flows as groundwater until it is absorbed by trees and other vegetation, after which it is evaporated into the atmosphere and the cycle starts anew. Brown identifies plants and techniques that leverage this natural process in order to filter, clean, and slow runoff, a practice known as Low Impact Development.
Using Plants for Stormwater Management presents the native ecological communities and plant species of the Gulf South in easy-to-follow sections and diagrams. Information ranging from the productiveness of root structures and the compatibility of plants with local soils to the optimal elevation of specific vegetation and the average dimensions of foliage is represented by graphic icons for quick and easy identification.
An accessible and essential resource, this book gives both novices and experts the know-how to harness rainfall and create beautiful, ecologically functioning landscapes.

Deciduous Trees Master List

for Stormwater Management

Botanical Name	Common Name
Acer negundo	Boxelder
Acer rubrum	Red Maple
Aralia spinosa	Devil’s Walking Stick
Betula nigra	River Birch
Carpinus caroliniana	Ironwood
Carya aquatic	Bitter Pecan
Catalpa bignonioides	Southern Catalpa
Celtis laevigata	Hackberry
Chionanthus virginicus	White Fringe Tree
Cornus drummondii	Rough-Leaf Dogwood
Crataegus opaca	Mayhaw
Cyrilla racemiflora	Leatherwood, Titi
Diospyros virginiana	Common Persimmon
Fagus grandifolia	American Beech
Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Green Ash
Halesia diptera	Silver-Bell
Ilex decidua	Possumhaw
Magnolia ashei	Ashe Magnolia
Nyssa aquatica	Water Tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica	Black Gum
Populus deltoides	Cottonwood
Quercus alba	White Oak
Quercus lyrata	Overcup Oak
Quercus michauxii	Cow Oak
Quercus nigra	Water Oak
Quercus nuttallii	Nuttall Oak
Quercus phellos	Willow Oak
Salix nigra	Black Willow
Taxodium ascendens	Pond Cypress
Taxodium distichum	Bald Cypress
Ulmus americana	American Elm

Acer negundo

Boxelder

• Bright green foliage

• Irregular shape

• Fast grower, weak-wooded

plant communities

[2a][5c]

Acer rubrum

Red Maple

• Fast grower

• Small shade tree

• Irregular shape

• Great seed color in spring

• Beautiful fall color

• Great pollinator

• Some cultivars are more wind resistant than others

plant communities

[1a 1b 1c] [2a 2b 2c] [3a 3b][5c]

Aralia spinosa

Devil’s Walking Stick

• Sharp spines

• Be careful planting in areas where people are active

• Loose, open form

• Understory to mid-canopy tree along streams

• Colonizer but not considered invasive

plant communities

[1c]

Betula nigra

River Birch

• Fast grower

• Great for slope stabilization near streams

• Open form

• Beautiful bark and drooping branches

• Performs well in urban areas

• Horizontally aggressive surface root system can be damaging to pavement and small building foundations, etc., but will not damage pipes because roots will not go deep enough

plant communities

[1b][2c]

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Deciduous Trees Master List
• Evergreen Trees Master List
• Deciduous Shrubs Master List
• Evergreen Shrubs
• Grasses and Ferns Master List
• Perennials Master List
• References
• Index
• Index
• About the Author