Native Plants

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Wednesday - May 07, 2014

From: Aliquippa , PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Erosion Control, Shade Tolerant, Grasses or Grass-like, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs
Title: Erosion Control for a Shaded Slope in Aliquippa PA
Answered by: Larry Larson

QUESTION:

What plants. shrubs or trees can I plant to retard soil erosion on a steep shaded hillside in PA

ANSWER:

Mr Smarty Plants has found a few similar requests for help with erosion control for a steep slope in Pennsylvania. As a general statement, we recommend clumping grasses and shrubs with extended root systems. You will see that as a trend in the following question/answer pairs:

Plants for steep slope in Pittsburgh PA

Ground cover for a bank in PA

Deer resistant plants for Pittsburgh PA

Plants for steep bank in Pennsylvania

Deer-resistant plants for a steep hillside in Allison Park PA

Native plants for erosion control in sun in Canton PA

Reviewing the information in these, here are a few suggestions for suitable grasses and shrubs. I've also taken note of their sunlight requirements.

Grasses

Schizachyrium scoparium (Little bluestem) partial shade

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) partial or full shade

Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem) partial shade

Carex texensis (Texas sedge) partial shade