If no trees and shrubs are required on an area with wet conditions, a yearly hay-cut in late autumn or spring is necessary. On sites rich in nutrients, tall herb communities develop. Established artificially, they produce an aesthetically pleasing display when enriched with sufficient amounts of flowering forbs between the grasses. Examples for mesotrophic and eutrophic sites are combined in one table because several species can be used in both conditions (Table
Table 8.1. Shade-tolerant perennials
|
Solanum dulcamara |
Eur, As, N – Afr |
Eutrophic |
100-150 |
VII-VIII |
purple |
Telekia speciosa |
E-Eur, W-As |
Eutrophic |
120-150 |
VII-VIII |
yellow |
Thalictrum aquilegifolium |
Eur, E-As |
Eutrophic |
80-100 |
V-VI |
pink, white |
Companion species (10-30/10 m2) |
|||||
Carex elongata |
Eur, W-As |
Meso-eutrophic |
30-60 |
V-VI |
brown |
Carex grayi |
N-Am |
Meso-eutrophic |
70-80 |
VI-VII |
green |
Dryopteris cristata |
Eu, As, Am |
Mesotrophic |
60-60 |
fern-plant |
|
Lysichiton americanus |
N-Am |
Eutrophic |
80-100 |
IV-V |
yellow |
Lysichiton camtschatcensis |
E-As |
Eutrophic |
80-100 |
IV-V |
white |
Lysimachia vulgaris |
Eu, As, N-Am |
Eutrophic |
100-120 |
VI-VIII |
yellow |
Mimulus ringens |
N-Am |
Meso-eutrophic |
70-90 |
VII-VIII |
blue |
Molinia caerulea |
Eur, W-As |
Oligotrophic |
80-100 |
VIII-IX |
brown |
Peucedanum palustre |
Eur, W-As |
Mesotrophic |
60-120 |
VII-VIII |
white |
Symplocarpus foetidus |
N-Am, E-As |
Eutrophic |
40-60 |
II-IV |
red— brown |
Saururus cernuus |
N-Am |
Meso-eutrophic |
70-80 |
VII-VIII |
white- yellow |
Ground-covers (20-50/10 m2) |
|||||
Calla palustris |
Cosmopolitan |
Eutrophic, acid |
15-20 |
V-VI |
white |
Carex sylvatica |
Eur, W-As |
Mesotrophic |
20-40 |
IV-VI |
green |
Geum rivale |
W-As |
Meso-eutrophic |
20-30 |
V-VI |
red |
Hydrocotyle vulgaris |
Eur |
Oligo-mesotr., acid |
10-20 |
inconspicuous flowers |
|
Lysimachia nummularia |
Eur, W-As |
Meso-eutrophic |
3-5 |
VI-VII |
yellow |
Mimulus gattatus |
N-Am |
Meso-eutroph |
30-50 |
VI-IX |
yellow |
Myosotis palustris |
Eur, As |
Mesotrophic |
10-40 |
V-VIII |
blue |
Stellaria aquatica |
Eur, As |
Eutrophic |
20-60 |
VI-IX |
white |
Stellaria palustris |
Cosmopolitan |
Oligotrophic |
10-45 |
V-VII |
white |
Thelypteris palustris |
Cosmopolitan |
Mesotrophic |
30-60 |
fern |
Sphagnum-mosses—cuttings pressed on wet soil surface of acid, oligotrophic sites : S. palustre, S. squarrosum, S. angustifolium, S. magellanicum |
Scattered plants (up to 50/10 m2) |
||||
Leucojum vernum |
C-Eur |
Eutrophic |
15-20 III-IV |
white |
Trientalis europaea |
Eur, N-As |
Oligotrophic, acid |
10-15 VI-VII |
white |
Caltha palustris |
Eur, As, NAm |
Meso-eutrophic |
20-35 IV-VI |
yellow |
Primula florindae |
C-As |
Eutrophic |
25-70 VII-VIII |
yellow |
Primula japonica |
E-As |
Eutrophic |
20-50 V-VI |
red |
Ranunculus ficaria (bulbs) |
Eur |
Eutrophic |
5-20 III-V |
yellow |
Sown species |
||||
Bidens cernua |
Cosmopolitan |
Eutrophic |
5-100 VIII-X |
yellow |
Impatiens noli – tangere |
Eur, As, W – Am |
Mesotrophic |
30-100 VII-VIII |
yellow |
Monoculture species |
—not to combine with species mentioned above (10-30/10 m2) |
|||
Petasites hybridus |
Eur |
Eutrophic |
70-80 III-IV |
red |
Equisetum hyemale |
Cosmopolitan |
Meso-eutrophic |
50-70 horsetail |
|
Matteuccia struthiopteris |
Eur, As |
Meso-eutrophic |
70-80 fern |
|
Scirpus sylvaticus |
Eur, As |
Oligo- mesotrophic |
70-100 VI-VII |
green- brown |
Onoclea sensibilis |
N-Am, E-As |
Meso-eutrophic |
50-80 fern |
|
* Eur=Europe; As=Asia; Am=America; N=North; E=East; S=South; W=West; C=Central |
||||
Table 8.2. Meso-eutrophic and eutrophic tall herb communities |
||||
Origin* |
Soil/water conditions |
Height Flowering (cm) Months |
Flower Colour |
|
Dominant species (10-20/10 m2) |
||||
Asclepias incarnata |
N-Am |
Eutrophic |
90-120 VII-VIII |
pink |
Aster puniceus |
N-Am |
Eutrophic |
90-200 VII-XI |
purple |
Carex muskingumensis |
N-Am |
Meso-eutrophic |
70-90 VI-VIII |
brown |
Carex paniculata |
Eur, W-As |
Mesotrophic |
60-90 V-VII |
brown |
Carex |
Eur, As, N- |
Meso-eutrophic |
60-90 V-VIII |
green |
pseudocyperus |
Am |
||||
Eupatorium cannabinum |
Eur, As |
Eutrophic |
100-140 |
VII-IX |
pink |
Eupatorium perfoliatum |
N-Am |
Meso-eutrophic |
120-150 |
VII-X |
white |
Euphorbia palustris |
Eur, W-As |
Eutrophic |
70-100 |
IV-V |
yellow |
Filipendula purpurea |
E-As |
Eutrophic |
80-110 |
VI-VII |
white-pink |
Filipendula ulmaria |
Eur, As |
Meso-eutrophic |
80-110 |
VI-VII |
white |
Filipendula rubra |
N-Am |
Meso-eutrophic |
120-160 |
VI-VII |
pink-red |
Iris pseudacorus |
Eur, W-As |
Eutrophic |
80-120 |
V-VI |
yellow |
Leucanthemella serotina |
E-Eur |
Eutrophic |
120-150 |
IX-X |
white |
Lythrum salicaria |
Eur, As |
Meso-eutrophic |
70-120 |
VII-IX |
pink |
Mentha aquatica |
Eur, As |
Eutrophic |
40-80 |
VII-IX |
pink-lilac |
Senecio paludosus |
Eur, W-As |
Meso-eutrophic |
100-140 |
VII-VIII |
yellow |
Veronica longifolia |
Eur, W-As |
Eutrophic |
80-120 |
VI-VIII |
blue |
Companion and ground-cover species |
(30-60/10 m2) |
||||
Achillea ptarmica |
Eur, As |
Mesotrophic, acid |
60-90 |
VII-VIII |
white |
Bistorta officinalis |
Eur, As, NAm |
Mesotrophic, acid |
40-90 |
V-VII |
pink |
Cardamine amara |
Eur |
Mesotrophic |
10-60 |
IV-VI |
white |
Carex canescens |
Cosmopolitan |
Mesotrophic, acid |
20-45 |
V-VI |
gray-green |
Carex diandra |
Cosmopolitan |
Mesotrophic, acid |
30-50 |
V-VII |
brown |
Carex flacca |
Eur, W-As |
Mesotrophic, alkaline |
15-20 |
V-VI |
black |
Carex ovalis |
Eur, As |
Mesotrophic, acid |
30-40 |
V-VII |
yellow- brown |
Carex nigra |
Eur |
Mesotrophic, acid |
20-30 |
V-VII |
black |
Carex panicea |
Eur |
Mesotrophic |
20-50 |
VI |
green- brown |
Geum rivale |
W-As |
Meso-eutrophic |
20-30 |
V-VI |
brown-red |
Hypericum tetrapterum |
Eur |
Mesotrophic, acid |
50-70 |
VII-VIII |
yellow |
Juncus articulatus |
Eur, As |
Mesotrophic |
20-50 |
VII-IX |
brown |
Lychnis flos-cucculi |
Eur, W-As |
Mesotrophic, acid |
40-70 |
V-VII |
pink |
Mentha pulegium |
Eur, W-As |
Mesotrophic, acid |
20-30 |
VII-IX |
pink- purple |
Mimulus guttatus |
N-Am |
Meso-eutrophic |
30-50 |
VI-IX |
yellow |
Myosotis palustris |
Eur, N-As |
Meso-eutrophic |
20-30 |
IV-VII |
blue |
Scutellaria galericulata |
Cosmopolitan |
Eutrophic |
10-40 |
VI-IX |
blue- purple |
Ranunculus acris |
Eur, As, NAm |
Mesotrophic |
25/50 |
V-VI |
yellow |
Scattered plants (up to 50/10 m2) |
|||||
Caltha palustris |
Eur, As, NAm |
Meso-eutrophic |
20-35 |
IV-VI |
yellow |
Cardamine pratensis |
Eur, As, NAm |
Mesotrophic |
15/30 |
IV-V |
white- purple |
Potentilla erecta |
Eur, W-As |
Mesotrophic, acid |
5-10 |
V-IX |
yellow |
Succisa pratensis |
Eur, W-As |
Oligo- mesotrophic |
15-80 |
VII-IX |
blue-lilac |
Sown species Aster tripolium |
Eur, As |
Saline soil |
40-80 |
VII-IX |
purple-lilac |
Anthoxanthum odoratum |
Eur |
Mesotrophic |
30-40 |
V-VII |
green |
Rhinanthus serotinus |
Eur, W-As |
Mesotrophic |
10-70 |
V-VIII |
yellow |
Monoculture species – 50/10 m2) |
-only to combine with shallow ground |
cover species mentioned above (10- |
|||
Carex acuta (=C. gracilis) |
Eur, As |
Mesotrophic |
60-90 |
V-VI |
brown |
Carex acutiformis |
Eur, W-As |
Meso-eutrophic |
70-100 |
V-VI |
brown- green |
Carex riparia |
Eur, As, E – Am |
Mesotrophic |
70-110 |
V-VII |
brown- green |
Carex rostrata |
Cosmopolitan |
Oligo- mesotrophic, acid |
30-70 |
VI-VII |
green |
Cladium mariscus |
Cosmopolitan |
Oligo-mesotr., alkaline |
80/160 |
VIII-X |
brown |
Darmera peltata |
N-Am |
Eutrophic |
100/50 |
IV-V |
pink |
Sparganium erectum |
Eur, As |
Eutrophic |
60-80 |
VII-IX |
green |
* Eur=Europe; As=Asia; Am=America; N=North; E=East; S=South; W=West; C=Central |
8.2). Tall herb communities are not only suitable for wet meadows but also along the shore of streams too, when only a short period of flooding in spring usually occurs. Table 8.2 includes only a few typical ruderals because with the establishment of such a vegetation the soil will be strongly disturbed and there will be enough short-lived forbs appearing spontaneously.