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Fountainville, PA 18923
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Highland Hill Farm

Native trees tolerant of wet soils:

  • Red and silver maple (Acer rubrum, A. saccharinumm)
  • River Birch Trees a tree for wet areas!!!!
    (Betula Nigraa)
  • Catalpa spp.
  • Ash (Fraxinus spp.)
  • Hornbeams American Hornbeam Great for Habitat Improvement!!!
  • Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
  • Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolorr)
  • Sycamores (Platanus spp.)
  • Native shrubs tolerant of wet soils:
  • Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)a)
  • Leatherwood (Dirca palustris)
  • Winterberry (Ilex verticulataa) Sparkleberry holly A great berry producer!!!
  • Inkberry (Ilex glabraa)
  • Pussy willow (Salix discolorr)
  • Willow Trees Trees for wet areas!!!!
  • Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)
  • Spicebush my long time favorite!!
  • Chokeberries Read why these bushes may survive as the oceans rise
  • Black Chokeberry produces great berry crops for the birds!!

    • Native herbaceous and flowering plants for sunny moist or boggy conditions:

    Native herbaceous and flowering plants for shady moist or boggy conditions:

    Numerous other native wetland species are available in most areas. There are also many species that have been naturalized in North America and are often considered native plants. Unfortunately, some of these species are more competitive and have become invasive, crowding out the native species that provide habitat for indigenous wildlife.




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    WETLANDS (legal) DEFINITION

    The definition of wetlands used by the Corps in its regulatory program is:
    Wetlands are those areas inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands can include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas (33 CFR 328).

    Backyard Wetland

    Wetlands can filter excess pesticides and nutrients. Many plants and animals can find a home in wetlands. Wetlands have long been under-rated for their many values. They are just now becoming better understood. Among those values:

    Habitat for wildlife
    Wetlands are prime habitat for breeding, nesting, feeding and cover for invertebrates, insects, amphibians, reptiles, waterfowl, songbirds, and mammals. Up to two-thirds of America's wild ducks are hatched in prairie pothole marshes. Wetlands in the United States support about 5,000 plant species, 190 species of amphibians, and a third of all native bird species. Water quality
    The cleansing power of wetlands provides natural pollution control by removing agricultural chemicals and nutrients. They can also be an efficient alternative for sewage and animal waste treatment.
    Our Pussey Willows Balled and Burlaped sell for $50 ea x 5' in height

    Economics
    Trying to farm frequently flooded areas can be expensive; the better economic choice may be to restore a wetland. Filter sediment
    Wetlands filter and collect sediment from runoff water, helping prevent mud from clogging lakes and reservoirs farther downstream. Reduce soil erosion
    Wetlands slow the overland flow of water, reducing soil erosion along water courses downstream. Reduce flooding
    Wetlands store rain water temporarily, allowing it to percolate into the ground or evaporate. The temporary storage reduces peak water flow. Enjoy the outdoors
    Wetlands are ideal places to hunt, watch wildlife, take photographs and just relax and enjoy nature. Wetlands offer personal enjoyment in many ways, including watching wildlife . They are also proving to be effective natural water filters.

    In your backyard or landscape

    A mini-wetland in your yard can provide many of the same benefits that natural wetlands may offer. Mini-wetlands can replace the important natural functions of wetlands that may have been lost.

    A wetland in your backyard will temporarily store, filter, and clean runoff water from your property. It will provide habitat for many interesting creatures such as butterflies and bees to salamanders, toads, frogs, and birds.

    Most wetland plants do not require standing water to grow successfully.A widely used wetland plant such as the River Birch Trees (Betula Nigraa) will grow in soils that are not wetlands. They are just found in nature in wetlands because they can out-compete other trees and plants in wet soils. Wetlands will survive even in an area that appears dry during the growing season. Soils that remain wet for weeks and months of the year will not sustain many plants that are not native to wetlands. Long periods of water saturating an area drown non wetland plants.

    If you have a naturally occurring wet spot in your yard, or a low spot or drainage way with heavy clay soils,(Read our guide to planting in clay soils) you easily can turn it into a wetland. Even if you do not have a naturally wet spot, you can establish an area in your yard to grow many of the beautiful plants associated with wetlands.

    What is a wetland?

    A wetland is simply any area where water covers the soil or keeps it saturated for at least two or three weeks during the growing season. You will usually find them anywhere water accumulates at a rate faster than it drains away. Some are inundated year-round while others only hold water for brief periods in the spring. Most wetlands are covered with water for less than a month during the summer. Wetlands dominated by grasses, cattails, and similar herbaceous vegetation are referred to as marshes, while wooded wetlands, dominated by shrubs and trees, are called swamps.

    The saturation of the soil limits the types of plants you can grow to those with "wet feet." How long the soil is saturated determines which wetland plants will grow best. There are many small wetland plants that grow quickly when the soil is wet in the spring and disappear when the soil dries up. Species like cattails, bulrushes, jewel weed, and the attractive cardinal flower do well where there are alternating wet and dry periods. These plants will survive persistent flooding as long as most of the leaves are out of the water. Water lilies and pond weeds grow well in permanently flooded ponds.

    In your backyard, toads and tree frogs will lay eggs and the pollywogs will mature where water only lasts 3 or 4 weeks; many frogs need longer periods. Where you have permanent water, the bullfrog pollywogs and small fish eliminate reproduction of most other frogs, toads, and salamanders. Mosquitoes will not survive in wetlands that dry out in less than a week after a summer rain or in wetlands connected to a deeper pond that supports small fish and large aquatic insects that eat them.

    Where to put a wetland

    I would never build a wetland because of possible future loss of the use of the ground. A natural depression or ditch that tends to stay wet is an ideal place to develop a wetland if you so chose. Other areas with heavy clay soils that drain slowly may be suitable. Better drained sites usually require use of a plastic or other type of liner or clay. Of course, if you are building a backyard pond, a shallow area of saturated soil can be incorporated in the design. When selecting a site, consider:

    1. Is the site away from your foundation, out buildings, existing landscaping that you want to maintain, or neighboring properties that might be damaged by excessive moisture? Many municipal codes will not allow you to disturb or build near wetlands so get a legal opinion as to whether this may prevent further use of your property. Make sure that if you get a permit for constructing a wetland that is clearly states how you will maintain it and remove it if necessary.
    2. Would there be a safety concern for neighborhood children? Will this area become an attractive place for kids. They could get hurt there and would you be liable?
    3. How will you plan its maintenance? Will you build in easy to maintain features like drains and access ways.
    4. If you need to supplement water, is it readily available or can you use roof drainage? If you have a well, will using it over tax its capacity?
    5. If there is an existing wetland, check state and local wetland regulations before altering it. This is very important. You may be held liable for flooding downstream if there is a flash flood.
    6. Unless you completely own a ditch, check with local authorities before making any alterations. Be sure you won't cause adjacent properties to flood.

    Building a wetland

    Since wetlands refer to a variety of conditions, there is a lot of potential for planting wetland flora in your landscape. You may want a wetland that only stays wet for a short period after heavy rains or one that stays wet most of the time.Areas in your landscape that stay wet for short periods of time are swails and depressions. If your basement has a sump puimp that runs continually, it could be deirected to a place that would supply an artificial wetland. It depends on the site and your desires. Establishing a wetland in your yard may be as simple as planting wetland plants in an existing wet area, or it may require the same effort needed to install a backyard pond.

    Building a wetland in an existing wet area or drainageway

    In some instances, all you need to do is stop mowing during dry periods. Too often homeowners go to great lengths to establish plants that are not adapted to the site or to modify the site, when it would be more effective to use plants suited to the conditions. Numerous landscape plants are well adapted to wet conditions and will provide beauty as well as wildlife habitat. Be sure to check the growth and rooting characteristics of trees you want to plant. Many wet soil tolerant trees have shallow root systems or brittle branches and must be planted a safe distance from buildings.

    Partially blocking a drainageway or small ditch to create your wetland by trapping storm water needs more planning. Blocking a ditch can cause problems when the water backs up. Where a low berm less than a foot high will create a small wetland, planning is not complicated if:

    • the drainage area above the berm is small, generally less than an acre;
    • there is adequate area for flood flows to go around and over the berm; and
    • the soil contains a high percentage of clay.

    For sites requiring a higher berm, and those with a larger watershed, you need engineering advice. For sites with sandy soil or a lot of rocks, you also may need to install a plastic liner (described in the next section) under all or the lower portion of your wetland.

    To construct the wetland with a small berm to hold back water for a few days or weeks:

    1. Put a stake in the center of the lowest portion of the drainageway where you want the berm.

    2. Using a level on a large board or string, place a stake where a level line reaches the ground on either side.

    3. Using the same type of level, mark how far back water will be impounded at the top of the berm.

    4. Remove any existing sod from an area about 4 feet wide along the line of the berm and over about half the area that will be flooded.

    5. Dig a trench about 1 foot deep along the center line of the berm and fill it with slightly damp heavy soil, packed down firmly.

    6. Build your berm about 4 feet wide at the bottom and 1 foot at the top. The center should be 4 to 6 inches higher than the ends to allow for settling and to force water flowing over it around the ends, reducing the likelihood of erosion.

    7. Cover the compacted berm with purchased grass sod or the sod you originally removed from the area.

    8. Plant wetland adapted plants in bands from the deepest areas to an area about six inches above the expected high water level, selected according to the degree of soil saturation they require.

    Building a separate wetland

    You can create a wetland in any level area and make it suitable for most wetland plants by digging out a depression, lining it with plastic, refilling it with soil, and adding water. After selecting the site, you should:

    1. Using a hose or rope, lay out the shape of your wetland. An irregular shape will appear the most natural. Sometimes a long narrow curving wetland will fit nicely into a landscape plan.

    2. Excavate an area 1-1/2 to 2 feet deep. The sides should slope gently to the deepest area.

    3. Put an inch of fine sand or lose soil in the bottom to prevent the plastic liner from being punctured by small stones.

    4. Line the depression with sheet plastic. Hold in place with heavy objects such as round stones. Or, install a pre-formed pool liner or use a child's wading pool.

    5. If you live in a region with heavy annual rainfall, puncture the liner in several places with small sized holes about halfway up the sides to allow slow drainage so the soil will not stay completely waterlogged for long periods.

    6. A. If you plan to grow common species of low maintenance plants adapted to moist soils in your area, fill the depression with a mixture of soil and peat. A significant amount of peat will help retain moisture and allow for aeration.

      B. If you intend to grow true bog plants that require acidic soils saturated with water most of the year, fill the area with a mixture of half peat and half humus. Also, you should fill the lower half of the depression with fine gravel or coarse sand to assure more even distribution of water. Burying a perforated pipe in the pea gravel connected to an upright pipe fitted with a hose connection will help add water evenly to the bog.

    7. Cover the edges of the plastic with soil to hide them and hold the liner in place.

    Building a wetland by a backyard pond

    Putting a shallow wetland at one edge of your backyard pond will increase its value and attractiveness. If you are using a pre-formed liner for your pond, you may want to build the wetland as described above, with the water level slightly above the pond liner or the edge of the pond liner lowered a couple of inches to allow water to flow into the pond. This design filters sediment and other contaminants out of the water coming off your lawn or roof through the wetland before it enters the pond. The wetland area also protects fish and other aquatic life in the pond by removing any chlorine from city tap water you use.

    Establishing plants

    The plants you select for your wetland will depend on:

    • length of time the soil will be saturated or covered with water,
    • depth of the water,
    • amount of sunlight on the site,
    • climate,
    • soil pH, and
    • size of the wetland.

    Select plants that are hardy for your area and provide the desired wildlife habitat and aesthetics. The species of plants most common in other wetlands in your area with similar flooding cycles will be easiest to grow and need the least maintenance.

    Choosing and establishing plants for ponds

    To make part of your backyard like natural wetlands, use a mix of diverse plants. Most trees, shrubs, ferns, and many other plants grow best in soils that are only saturated early in the growing season and after heavy rains. Others, like the true bog plants, need almost continually saturated soil. Plants like water lilies need to be continually flooded. Once established, plants like cattails will thrive in water a couple feet deep, but also in areas that are wet for only short periods. However, most have a narrower tolerance range that may vary depending on where you live. Always check with a local nursery or other expert before making final decisions on what varieties to plant. Plants should always be purchased from a reliable source. Potted stock is easier to start than bare root stock (Read about bare root plants and seedlings if you are new to planting nursery stock.

    Safety

    Locate the backyard wetland where it is unlikely to attract unattended children. Check local safety ordinances and building ordinances for restrictions and permits.

    On the farm

    In the rural landscape, wetlands filter chemicals, excess nutrients, and sediment from flowing water, protecting streams and drinking water sources. They also provide habitat for many wildlife species.

    Across the country, many farmers voluntarily return formerly drained wetlands in crop fields and pasture to fully functioning wetlands. Many of these acres were marginally productive and returning them to wetlands provides significant ecological, economic, water purification, and recreational benefits.

    Many farmers enhance their wetlands with nesting structures for ducks and other birds, put in plants and annual seeding to provide winter food and cover for wildlife, and establish native wildflowers to make the landscape more attractive.

    We supply many types of wetland plants.If you have any comments, please E-Mail Us

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    We deliver to the following counties in Pa:

    Adams County, Clinton County, Lackawanna County, Pike County Allegheny County, Columbia County, Lancaster County, Potter County Armstrong County, Crawford County, Lawrence County, Schuylkill County Beaver County, Cumberland County, Lebanon County, Snyder County Bedford County, Dauphin County, Lehigh County, Somerset County Berks County, Delaware County, Luzerne County, Sullivan County Blair County, Elk County, Lycoming County, Susquehanna County Bradford County, Erie County, McKean County, Tioga County Bucks County, Fayette County, Mercer County, Union County Butler County, Forest County, Mifflin County, Venango County Cambria County, Franklin County, Monroe County, Warren County Cameron County, Fulton County, Montgomery County, Washington County Carbon County, Greene County, Montour County, Wayne County Centre County, Huntingdon County, Northampton County, Westmoreland County Chester County, Indiana County, Northumberland County, Wyoming County Clarion County, Jefferson County, Perry County, York County Clearfield County, Juniata County, Philadelphia County