Our emergents – 2

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

  • KEYSTONE means they are listed by National Wildlife Federation as core plants for a wildlife garden in my ecoregion (Ecoregion 8).
  • NOT QUITE NATIVE means they are slightly out of range but adjacent to NYS as determined by GoBotany and NY Flora Atlas.
  • Otherwise the plant is a NY-native or native to the area noted.

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)

Pickerel weed

Pickerelweed spreads pretty fast, like many aquatic plants. It’s a beautiful addition to our pond, and it also offers nectar.

Wildlife: Seeds eaten by waterfowl; attracts dragonflies
Deer resistance: Minimal

Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)

Arrowhead

Arrowhead is also known as duck potato or Indian potato due to its fleshy tuber. It has interesting white flowers and does not spread vigorously. In fact, it has been getting crowded out by more aggressive growers, so I need to find the remaining plants and dedicate some space for it.

Wildlife: Underground tubers for ducks and snapping turtles

Lizard’s tail (Saururus cernuus)

Lizard's tail
Lizard’s tail ©Janet Allen

Lizard’s tail has a curved lizard’s tail of white flowers. Unlike many aquatic plants, it doesn’t spread very readily, but still, I have a nice number of plants. Like the Goldilocks story, it’s just right.

Wildlife: Wood ducks
Deer resistance: High

Three-square rush (Scirpus americanus Syn: Schoenoplectus americanus)

Three square rush

These are really do have three-sided stems, and they have an interesting insect-like flower. But they spread pretty far and fast. They definitely lend a pond-like feel, but on balance, I doubt it’s worth having them all over, especially since they’re always aiming to poke out my eyes it seems. But I doubt I can get rid of them — they don’t pull up easily.

However, while they don’t provide food or shelter for obvious creatures, I’ve read that the submerged portions of this plant provide habitat for many micro- and macro-invertebrates. In a natural setting, waterfowl eat the seeds and nutria eat the rhizomes, but these aren’t wildlife I have.