Spring flooding - what can I plant?

Hello!

I live a little southwest of Montreal, Canadian hardiness zone 5B (I think there is a different zone definition in the US). The back part of my back yard floods every spring, there are quite a few mature trees which withstand this flooding no problem, but which result in the flooded area being in almost complete shade. I've searched high and low on-line to see if there is any plant reference site that could tell me what kind of perrenial plants or shrubs I could plant in this kind of environment that could help drink up some of this excess water and survive the flooding, the winter and the shade.

Do any of you have any ideas or websites that I could visit that could help me with this? My next step is to go to a local gardening center and see if they can help, but I'd like to see if I can get an answer here first.

Thanks for the help,

Phil Plasma

 

You might try some of the ferns - they generally are understorey plants in moist areas in forested areas and many are probably native to your area.

Creating pathways and even seating areas using woodchips, flagstone or river rocks might give you a really nice 'room' in your yard that could be a tranquil place for you and yours to relax.

Be careful not to bury the tree roots with new material, though - while some can take the added stress of having surface roots buried, others could decline rapidly.

Have you considered putting in a small pond or waterfeature that takes advantage of the area's 'atributes' ? Dealing with falling leaves may present a problem in the autumn, but the feature scould add to the serenity of the area...

Hope this helps a bit

Howie

 

Ferns, rushes, sedges, cat tails, and a variety of boggy loving perennials are available. Contact your local Dept. of Agriculture Extension Agent for recommended plants in your area for your growing conditions.