From the Introduction: "Planted stormwater retention
and infiltration practices are important for reducing runoff and
maximizing green space in urban areas. While a wide variety
of herbaceous plants are often successfully used in these
spaces ... they can present maintenance issues because
of the need to annually cut back dead foliage and stems.
Utilizing woody plants decreases the need for additional sea-
sonal maintenance while successfully adding aesthetic and
functional vegetation to stormwater retention practices."
New from the Urban Horticulture Institute!
Woody Shrubs for Stormwater Retention Practices
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions
A Free 56-page Guide by Ethan
Dropkin and Nina Bassuk
Includes an extensive suggested
plant list with beautiful photos
Photos by Ethan Dropkin
Key Concept: "When selecting plants for stormwater infil-
tration, common sense would seem to dictate the use of
wetland plants. However, due to the rate at which most of
these practices allow water to infiltrate, the majority of plant-
ed stormwater practices will likely only be inundated for a few
minutes after a small storm event, and up to a day or two for
a larger event. Unlike most permanent or semi-permanent
wetlands, these areas remain relatively dry most of the time.
Because of this characteristic, plants that can handle both
temporary inundation and relatively protracted drought are the
best choices for a low-maintenance planting."
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/pdfs/woody_
shrubs_stormwater_hi_res.pdf
www.urban-forestry.com 9
