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Plants for Wetland Restoration on the Palouse
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American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
Description
Stout annual, stems solitary or a few to a clump.
Leaves: Soft, flat, with overlapping sheaths.
Inflorescence: Many 1-sided spikes in a narrow panicle,
yellowish, with golden brown seeds.
Height: 2-3’.
Ecology
Waterfowl readily eat the seeds of this species.
Growth Requirements
Sloughgrass will grow on loamy or clayey soils in marshy flats or wet
meadows. It is slightly shade tolerant. |
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Common camas Camassia quamash
Description
Perennial forb from large (up to 1.5” across) egg-shaped bulbs.
Leaves: Basal, grass-like, linear.
Flowers: Blue to purple, star-shaped, about 2” across, with 6
linear petals. Flowers sometimes single, more often in clusters.
Height: To 2’.
Ecology
In the early spring camas foliage is eaten by deer, elk, and moose.
Camas is shade intolerant, and is found in meadows and forest openings.
It generally increases after fire, and many Northwest tribes regularly
burned camas meadows for this reason. It also increases with some
loosening or slight scarification of the soil.
Growth Requirements
Can be grown from either bulbs or seed, which should be covered with
1-2” of mulch for best germination. Prefers sites that stay
consistently wet in spring but dry out in summer or fall, and will grow
in all soil types. Competition from grass inhibits seedling
establishment.
Ethnobotany
Camas was arguably the most important plant food to many Northwest
tribes, playing an important part in spiritual life as well as making
up a major portion of the diet. Raw bulbs contain insulin, an
indigestible sugar, which breaks down into fructose when cooked. The
Canadian explorer David Thompson reported eating 36-year-old bulbs that
still had flavor. |
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Big-Leaf Sedge Carex amplifolia
Description
Stems: Single or a few together from long, stout, creeping
rhizomes. Red-tinged near base, dry leaves from previous year present
at base.
Leaves: 6-12 per plant, very broad, flat.
Inflorescence: Elongate, well-separated, 3-7 spikes with leafy
bracts,
Height: 2-4’.
Ecology
Grows under wet conditions in stream banks and meadow habitats.
Often found growing in shadier sites than other sedges.
Occurs at elevations from sea level to 8000’.
Growth Requirements
Thrives in wet soils along woodland and prairie streams and in
freshwater marshes.
Ethnobotany
Leaves woven to make spoons by Paiute Indians. Young stems eaten raw by
Montana tribes. |
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Water Sedge Carex Aquatilis
Description
Grows in dense clumps from deeply buried cord-like rhizomes.
Stems: Slender, red-tinged, surrounded by long brown scales and
clothed with old leaves.
Leaves: 8-15 per stem, erect, equal to or shorter than stem,
with flat, bluish-green blades.
Inflorescence: Long, cylindrical, 3-7 per plant, with leaf-like
sheaths.
Height: To 3’.
Ecology
Water sedge equals clover in nutritional value and exceeds it in
protein content, and is browsed by game and cattle. Waterfowl eat the
seeds of water sedge, but they are probably not a major food source. It
produces few seeds, and spreads mostly through rhizomes. Usually a
dominant plant where it occurs.
Growth Requirements
Found in shallow water or immediately adjacent to streams or ponds.
This species grows best on flat surfaces or slopes less than 10%.
Due to its dense root system it is highly recommended for erosion
control.
Ethnobotany
Water sedge is sometimes cut and baled for hay. |
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Small-Winged Sedge Carex Microptera
Description
Densely tufted, no rhizomes.
Stems: Triangular.
Leaves: 3-5 on the lower one-third of the stem, with flat, firm
blades. Leaves much shorter than the stems.
Inflorescence: Round, brown head at tip of stem.
Height: To 2’.
Ecology
Common species of moist to wet places, from mid to high elevations.
Growth Requirements
Found in forested wetlands and wet meadows. Tolerates some dry soil.
Ethnobotany
Used as a ceremonial emetic by the Navajo.
This plant is good sheep browse.
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Nebraska Sedge Carex Nebrascensis
Description
Densely tufted, no rhizomes.
Stems: Triangular.
Leaves: 3-5 on the lower one-third of the stem, with flat, firm
blades. Leaves much shorter than the stems.
Inflorescence: Round, brown head at tip of stem.
Height: To 2’.
Ecology
Natural occurrence in the Northwest is common.
Good cover for nesting waterfowl and small mammals. Seeds and rhizomes
eaten by waterfowl, upland game birds, small mammals and songbirds. The
leaves feed muskrats, geese and other grazers.
Growth Requirements
Tolerant of salinity and alkalinity and a range of soil textures. Can
tolerate total inundation for up to 3 months. One of the most drought
tolerant sedges, growing along ponds and stream edges.
Ethnobotany
Due to the lack of strong grass species in their home region, the Nez
Perce used many sedge species to make ropes and twine. |
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Beaked Sedge Carex Rostrata
Description
Stems: Bases light brown, spongy, conspicuously clothed with
dense old leaves.
Roots: Extensive, stout, rhizomatous root system with short and
long creeping runners sometimes forming dense sod.
Leaves: Thick and flat, yellowish-green, upper leaves longer
than stems.
Inflorescence: Distinctive large, dense, yellowish-green to
straw-colored flower heads. Seeds have beaked tip.
Height: 2-4’.
Ecology
This species is often dominant or co-dominant where it occurs. It can
form a dense mat on streambanks, holding the banks together even when
undercut, which forms excellent salmonid habitat. Spreads through
rhizomes, fragmentation, stolons, and seed.
Growth Requirements
Tolerates acid, but not alkaline soils, and will grow in shade or sun
but is less vigorous in shade. Will tolerate flowing and standing
water. Grows best on gentle slopes, and sites that are wet most of the
year.
Ethnobotany
Northwest native peoples sometimes used this sedge as a cleaning brush,
and ate the fleshy leaf bases. |
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Blister Sedge Carex Vesicaria
Description
Grows in loose clumps.
Stems: Triangular, slender, reclining, slightly reddish at the
spongy base.
Leaves: 4-10, with flat blades.
Inflorescence: Several, erect, stalkless, yellowish to purple
brown. Bracts well-developed and longer than seedhead.
Ecology
Sometimes eaten by grazers. Spreads by seeds and rhizomes. Grows at low
to mid elevations.
Growth Requirements
Tolerant of alkaline soils, and all soil textures. Generally found near
still water, in wet meadows and along pond edges. Reportedly quite
common historically on the Palouse in meadows with camas and Nebraska
sedge.
Ethnobotany
Some sedges, especially those with relatively large leaves, were used
by Northwest native peoples to line pit-ovens, cache pits, moccasins,
and berry baskets. |
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Tufted Hairgrass Deschampsia Caespitosa
Description
Densely tufted perennial, with matted, dry leaves at base.
Leaves: Mostly basal, stiff, usually folded or inrolled, bright
green.
Inflorescence: Loose, open, branched green or purplish clusters
with a metallic sheen. 2-3 flowers per spikelet near branch tips. Erect
or nodding heads.
Height: To 3’.
Ecology
Big game and livestock browse this species, especially in spring and
early summer before it matures. In some areas it is also important bear
forage. While tolerant of some shade, it rarely occurs under a forest
canopy. It is an aggressive colonizer, and occurs in climax
communities.
Growth Requirements
A useful species for revegetating mine spoils because of its tolerance
for acid soil, tufted hairgrass tolerates a wide range of moisture
regimes but is most often found as an intermediary between sedge
communities and upland sites. Can be seeded or planted as plugs.
Seeding should be done in the fall.
Ethnobotany
On well-watered sites tufted hairgrass will often form a dense
monoculture, which makes good hay. |
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Creeping Spikerush Elocharis Palustris
Description
Perennial, often grows in dense stands, spreads through long, creeping
rhizomes.
Stems: Arising singly from base, round, light green.
Leaves: Basal, reduced to sheaths.
Inflorescence: Solitary, conical spikelet at end of stem,
covered with brown overlapping scales.
Height: To 4’, but usually less than half that height.
Ecology
The cluster of seeds in the spike provides food for various species of
ducks and geese, and the dense growth provides cover for small mammals,
fish, and waterfowl.
Growth Requirements
Prefers semi-permanently saturated or flooded conditions and is most
often found in standing water. Tolerates up to 6 inches water depth
(maybe more), and alkaline soils. Shade tolerant.
Ethnobotany
Sap eaten by Northern Paiute Indians.
Used as bedding, and for pillows by the Okanagan and Colville tribes. |
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Western Mannagrass Glyceria Occidental
Description
Perennial native emergent grass.
Leaves: Narrow, flat, ribbon-like, soft, smooth leaves.
Inflorescence: Open, loose.
Height: To 4.5’.
Ecology
Found in shallow water of ponds, pools, lakes, and depressions of wet
prairies, from sea level to 4500’.
Growth Requirements
Plant in fall or spring.
Requires 18 or more inches of precipitation during the growing
season.
Moderate tolerance of salinity and acidity
Ethnobotany
Provides food and cover for birds, including many water-fowl, and small
seed-eating songbirds.
Muskrats and small mammals eat mannagrass.
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Cow Parsnip Heracleum lanatum
Description
Stems: Single, soft, hairy, and hollow.
Leaves: 4-12” long and wide, maple-like, coarsely toothed.
Flowers: 4-8” wide, white, in clusters on end of stalks.
Seeds: Oval to heart-shaped, flattened.
Ecology
Deer, elk, moose, bear, and small mammals readily eat cow parsnip. It
also provides excellent cover for songbirds and grouse. Reproduction is
entirely by seed—or nearly so. There is some uncertainty as to whether
cow parsnip reproduces vegetatively. Tends to grow in denser patches on
wetter sites.
Growth Requirements
Cow parsnip tolerates a fairly broad range of site moisture, growing on
the Palouse most commonly in creek bottoms in the floodplain, especially
with aspen and hawthorn, but also on drier hillsides with only hawthorn.
Is somewhat shade tolerant, but also grows in full sun. Plant seed in
the fall.
Ethnobotany
Also known as Indian celery or Indian rhubarb, the stems of this
species were (and are) highly valued as a vegetable. They must be
peeled before eating, to remove the skin with its irritating hairs.
Care should be taken to distinguish this species from the toxic poison
hemlock (Conium maculatum), an exotic weed also found in creek bottoms
on the Palouse. |
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Wild Iris, Blue Flag, Rocky Mountain Iris Iris
missiouriensis
Description
Showy perennial from thick, spreading rhizomes.
Leaves: Basal, linear, sword-shaped, with parallel
veination.
Inflorescence: The flowers are large, delicate, blue-violet, and
often have purple veins.
Height: 1-2’.
Ecology
Iris flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and insects. Forms small
but dense populations, spreading by seed and rhizomes. As patches
increase in size, the older central individuals often die.
Growth Requirements
Since this species flowers and goes dormant fairly early in the year,
it will grow on sites that dry out by June or July. Wild iris was
apparently very common historically on the Palouse, often growing in
wet meadows with camas.
Ethnobotany
Used as a salve for toothaches by tribes of the Great Basin, and small
amounts of the root can induce vomiting. The roots are poisonous.
Fibers from the leaves make strong and flexible cordage, which was used
for fishing nets and snares.
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Jointed Rush Juncus articulatus
Description
Stems: Stems can form both loose and dense clumps along
rhizomes.
Inflorescence: Open, flowers originate on widely spreading
terminal branches.
Leaves: Circular in cross-section, pulpy, and contain inside
partitions (or joints).
Height: From 6-20”.
Ecology
Spreads vegetatively and from seed. Grows at low to mid elevations.
Growth Requirements
Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, and grows along wetlands and
streams. Needs year-round soil moisture. |
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Baltic Rush Juncus balticus
Description
Inflorescence: Brown cluster on side of stem.
Leaves: Basal, nearly bladeless, sheaths brown.
Stems: Dark green round stems.
Height: 18-30”.
Ecology
Often found in saline or alkaline wetlands. Tolerates wide range of
hydrologic conditions.
Strong root system makes this plant ideal for streambank stabilization.
Tends to increase with disturbance such as grazing.
Growth Requirements
Grows along pond and stream edges, on a wide range of
seasonally-flooded, moist soils, but can also survive water tables 9’
or more below the surface.
Ethnobotany
Sugar, formed along the tops of the plants, was gathered and eaten as
candy. Seeds used for food by the Paiute.
Stems used for weaving baskets by some Montana tribes. |
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Common rush, soft rush Juncus effusus
Description
Rhizomatous plant that grows in large clumps of several hundred
stems.
Inflorescence: A dense cluster that appears to originate
directly from the stem.
Stems: Smooth, erect, round, bright green and hollow, with
reduced basal leaves.
Ecology
Seeds from this species are eaten by many birds and small mammals, and
the dense stands it forms provide cover for amphibians and fish. These
dense stands and fibrous roots also make common rush good for sediment
and nutrient filtration.
Growth Requirements
Prefers finely textured soil, and water less than 6” deep, but
tolerates a wide variety of site conditions. Won’t grow in sites that
dry out for long periods of time.
Ethnobotany
Juncus stems are used in making coiled baskets by Southern California
tribes.
The Quinalt of Western Washington also used common rush for making
baskets. They also mixed stems from this species with cattails to make
string. |
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Dagger-leaf rush Juncus ensifoltus
Description
Stems: Arise singly or a few together from creeping rhizomes.
Leaves: Distinct, flattened sword-shaped, 1-3 per stem.
Inflorescence: Small, dense, rounded flower heads growing at the
end of the stem.
Height: Short in stature, rarely more than 1 foot in height.
Ecology
Fast growing bank stabilizer, re-sprouts quickly following
disturbance.
Found at elevations from 1,500-4,500’.
Growth Requirements
Rarely found in standing water, and tolerates seasonal drought. Appears
to grow well on the Palouse in all types of soils. Plant in fall or
spring. Needs at least 12 inches of precipitation during the growing
season.
Ethnobotany
Bulbs are used as food by some Northwest peoples. |
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American bistort Polygonum bistortoides
Description
Perennial forb, rhizomatous.
Leaves: Basal, lance-shaped, 5-12” long with long stalks. Stem
leaves are much smaller and stalkless. Float on or just above the water
surface.
Flowers: White or pinkish, in dense spike-like clusters.
Stems: Reclining, to 2.5’.
Ecology
Reproduces through seed or roots through nodes. Provides food and cover
for waterfowl and songbirds.
Growth Requirement
Shade intolerant, doesn’t like clay soils, or moving water. Grows in
fresh water up to 10” deep or in wet soils. Needs only seasonal
saturation.
Ethnobotany
While the Nez Perce apparently used this species only occasionally,
other tribes of the Northwest ate the starchy roots raw, in stews or
soups, or ground into flour. The leaves and shoots are also edible, but
the mature stems are tough. |
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Wapato, Duck Potato, Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia
Description
Semi-aquatic perennial, with tuber-bearing rhizomes.
Flowers: Flowering stalks leafless, flowers about 1” across with
three white petals.
Leaves: Large arrow-shaped leaves found on long stalks that hold
blades in or above water.
Height: To 1.5’.
Ecology
Waterfowl and muskrats eat the roots, shoots, and seeds. In dense
stands, it also provides cover for fish and aquatic insects. This plant
extracts large amounts of nutrients and metals from the water during the
growing season.
Growth Requirement
While apparently not common on the Palouse historically, wapato grows
well in shallow ponds in the area. It must be partially submerged part
of the year, but will grow in ponds and wetlands that dry up in late
spring.
Ethnobotany
Native Americans collected and baked the tubers. Tubers have a sweet
taste similar to chestnuts. The Nez Perce considered wapato a highly
desirable food, and traded for it since its occurrence was uncommon in
their territory. |
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Hardstem bulrush, tule Scirpus acutus, Schonoplectus
Description
Round-stemmed plant with dark green rigid stems.
Leaves: V-shaped and sheathed around stem base.
Infloresence: Orange-brown cluster.
Height: 4 to 8'
Ecology
The seeds of this species are eaten by a number of birds and waterfowl,
and the shoots and roots are food for geese and muskrats. It often forms
dense monocultures, spreading from stout, rigid rhizomes.
Growth Requirements
Hardstem bulrush can grow on sites where the water table is up to 5’
above or 4” below the soil surface. Shade and saline intolerant.
Doesn’t tolerate high water velocity—usually found in standing water. |
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Woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus
Description
Erect grass-like perennial.
Roots: Lacks rhizomes. Has a fibrous root system, which forms
individual tufts.
Leaves: Leaves are smooth, flat, elongated, and up to an inch
wide.
Inflorescence: The flowers occur in dense rounded clusters of
greenish-brown spikelets arising from the top of the culm (stem). The
fruits are yellow-gray to white.
Height: 4-5’.
Ecology
Very rarely a dominant plant, individuals are most often scattered over
an area.
Growth Requirements
Grows in areas that are either saturated or moist all year round, but
doesn’t tolerate more than a couple inches of standing water. Prefers
full to partial sun, and sandy soils.
Ethnobotany
Woolgrass stems were woven to make matting and ropes. The fruiting tops
of the plant were used as a resilient material for stuffing and making
pillows. The small rushes were used in making woven mats and storage
bags. |
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Softstem bulrush, common great bulrush, tule Scirpus validus,
scirpus tabernaemontani
Description
Slender, perennial aquatic plant, with pale green, round, spongy and
easily crushable stems.
Leaves: Mostly at stem base, most reduced to bladeless
sheaths.
Infloresence: Branched clusters, reddish-brown, found at base of
an erect green bract, usually high on stems.
Height: To 9’.
Ecology
The seeds of this species are a preferred food of ducks and other
waterfowl. The dense growth also provides excellent cover for a variety
of species, especially in association with cattail. Spreads both
vegetatively and by seed. Seed will remain viable in the soil for up to
20 years.
Growth Requirements
Prefers poorly drained or continuously saturated soil, standing or
slowly moving water, and will grow in up to 10 inches of water.
Tolerates saline and alkaline soils. This species is highly recommended
for wetland restoration because it can triple its biomass annually.
Ethnobotany
The dried beaten rootstocks were used by some native peoples as meal
for bread, while the young tip of the rootstock was edible and reputed
to serve as a thirst-quencher. The boiled young roots yield sweet
syrup.
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Small-fruited bulrush Scirpus microcarpus
Description
Robust plant with abundant, stout, triangular stems.
Leaves: Flat, abundant grass-like leaves, light-green.
Inflorescence: Produces clusters of small, brown flowers at the
end of secondary stems.
Height: Grows 2-5’ high.
Ecology
Small-fruited bulrush is widespread in wetlands throughout the Pacific
Northwest. Seeds, rhizomes, and shoots are all eaten by waterfowl and
muskrats.
Growth Requirements
Tolerates wide range of soil regimes, prefers sites that are wet all
but a few months of the year. An aggressive, fast grower, it has done
very well at stream restoration sites on the Palouse. Shade
Intolerant.
Ethnobotany
Leaves from this species were used to wrap foods for cooking. Used to
make fringe for buckskin dresses by Okanagan-Colville Indians. Used to
cut a newborn babies’ umbilical cord by Thompson Indians.
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Three-square bulrush Scirpus pungens, Scirpus americanus,
Schoenoplectus americanus
Description
Stems: Distinctive, triangular, single stems in small groups.
Leaves: Firm, strongly folded. Seedheads: Dark-brown.
Height: 4-6’.
Ecology
The rhizomes of this species are preferred by muskrats and geese, and
the seeds are eaten by waterfowl. The stems also provide habitat for
birds and small mammals.
Growth Requirements
Thrives in wet soil on the edges of ponds, lakes, and streams. Will
grow in standing water up to 12 inches deep.
Tolerant of moderate alkalinity. Medium salinity tolerance.
Ethnobotany
The seeds are rich in protein and can be ground and added to flour. The
flour can also be mixed with water, boiled, and eaten as a mush.
Leaves of this species have been woven into baskets and hats. Allegedly
when mixed with oil and rubbed on ones’ head, the leaves will make ones’
hair grow long and thick. |
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Common cattail Typha latifolia
Description
Aggressive, hardy plant, usually forming dense, extensive patches.
Perennial.
Leaves: Long and slender with a spongy feel.
Flowers: Tiny and dense, clustered on a spike on the end of
stem, green at first, brown when ripe.
Height: 5-7’.
Ecology
Often the dominant plant at the fringes of ponds and ditches, sometimes
growing so densely as to be a nuisance. Provides cover for wild ducks,
geese, and other gamebirds, and house building material for muskrats.
Cattails are known to have excellent natural water filtering
qualities.
Growth Requirements
Cattails can be germinated from seeds but the plants will remain small
for 2 –3 years. They are more effectively propagated by root division.
Cattails thrive in damp soil in up to 10 inches of water at low to mid
elevations. They don’t tolerate flowing water, however.
Ethnobotany
Cattail rhizomes were eaten by Native Americans. Stems and leaves were
woven into mats. “Fluff” was used for stuffing pillows and mattresses.
The flower head can be eaten like corn-on-the-cob when green. The
sticky juice from the leaves may be rubbed on the gums to relieve
toothaches. |
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