Emergent Plant List
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NGO online ordering SALE! NGO's receive a 15% discount off online orders, and a 20% discount off Spartina alterniflora online orders. Offer good thru the 2008 season. | order form
Definitions for Wetland Indicator Status
| Obligate Wetland (OBL) | contains plants that almost always occur in wetlands (99% of the time) |
| Facultative Wetland (FACW) | contains plants that usually occur in wetlands (67-99% of the time) |
| Facultative (FAC) | includes plants that are just as likely to occur in wetland or non-wetland areas (34-66% chance of occurring in wetlands or non-wetlands) |
| Facultative Upland (FACU) | contains plants that occasionally occur in wetlands (1-33% of the time) |
| Upland (UPL) | contains plants that almost always occur in uplands (99% of the time) |
Herbaceous Emergent Plants
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Carex lurida — Lurid Sedge |
| An evergreen clump which produces nodding prickly green cylindrical flower spikes in swamps and wet woods. Upright green leaves forming grass-like clumps in moist spots. | |
| Habitat | This plant thrives in disturbed sandy or gravelly sites. It grows in full to partial sun and prefers a moist area. |
| Wetland Indicator | FACW/OBL |
| Height | 1 to 3.5 feet tall |
| Flower | Green female flower cluster is longer than the male cluster blooms in summer. |
| Origin | U.S. Native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln.) |
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Carex stricta — Tussock Sedge |
| It has long, green, triangular stems with rough edges. It has dense tufts of arching leaves growing in upright clumps. Rhizomes spread and sprout new plants, sometimes forming a colony. | |
| Habitat | It prefers sun to light shade, moist, fertile soil but tolerates dry soil. Coarse, fine to medium textured soil is best. It has a flood depth between 0 to 6 inches. It grows in moist forests and marshes. They are usually right at the water level, or just above the water level. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 2 to 3 feet tall |
| Flower | Reddish-brown flowers bloom in late spring |
| Origin | U.S. Native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
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Carex vulpinoidea — Fox Sedge |
| A perennial clump-forming sedge with leaves generally longer that the stems. It is found in freshwater marshes and wet marshes; spreads via rhizomes. | |
| Habitat | It prefers wet, aquatic, peaty soils in full to part sun, requires fine to medium textured soils. It typically grows in wetlands, wet woods, swamps, wet prairies, along rivers and streams, around lakes and ponds and also in a wide variety of moist to very wet soils. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 2 to 3 feet tall with a 2 foot spread |
| Flower | Brownish-yellow seed heads in late spring |
| Origin | U.S. Native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln. |
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Hibiscus moscheutos |
| Swamp Rose Mallow is a wildflower with large, beautiful flowers. Leaves are large, and either triangle or heart-shaped. The edges have teeth, and they often have reddish veins. | |
| Habitat | Requires fine to medium textures soil with a pH ranging from 4.0 to 7.5 in full sun with a minimum temperature of -13°F. It is found in wet areas, such as marshes, ponds, ditches, wet woods, and shorelines. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 3 to 7 feet tall |
| Flower | Large, white with deep purple insides, appear from July to September |
| Origin | U.S. Native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. South National Technical Center, Fort Worth. |
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Iris pseudoacorus — Yellow Flag, |
| Extraordinarily handsome form having creamy yellow striped leaves. It is a robust iris with bright yellow bloom. It has broad, thick sword leaves. | |
| Habitat | Marshes, shallow water or wet shores. Ideal when grown in a moist location, but will do well in dry locations. It needs full sun to partial shade. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 3 to 5 inches tall |
| Flower | Pale to deep yellow flowers have 6 clawed perianth segments including 3 large downward-spreading sepals and 3 smaller erect petals, appear June to August |
| Origin | U.S. Native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1995. Northeast wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Chester. |
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Iris versicolor — Blue Flag |
| Its stout stem grows from a thick, cylindrical, creeping rootstock and bears two ranks of sword shaped long, narrow leaves. Each stem has 2 or 3 large, blue or purplish flowers featuring three petal-like, spreading or recurved sepals below and three petals, smaller than the sepals, above. | |
| Habitat | Requires full sun with a soil heavy, rich, organic; with a pH ranging from 5 to 7 that is constantly moist or wet, up to 6" deep. It will tolerate moderately brackish water, partial shade, and permanent inundation in swamps and lowlands. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 2 to 3 inches with 1-inch sword-shaped leaves |
| Flower | Blue flowers with yellow and white markings, 3 to 4 inches across, appear May to July |
| Origin | Eastern Canada and the northern U.S. |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Jennifer Anderson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database |
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Juncus effusus — Soft Rush |
| Soft rush is a rhizomatous, perennial herb. The stems are stout but soft. The basal sheaths are bladeless; the edges usually overlap with the veins converging at the tip. The leaves are dull chocolate brown or chestnut-colored at the base, the inner sheaths dark toward the summit. | |
| Habitat | Requires full sun in a coarse, fine, or medium textured soil with a pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.0. Medium moisture is needed with a minimum temperature of -38°F. |
| Wetland Indicator | FACW / OBL |
| Height | 3 to 7 feet tall |
| Flower | Brown, 2 to 10 cm long, appears May to August |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | © Ian Dodkins, www.habitas.org.uk/flora |
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Lobelia siphilitica — Blue Lobelia |
| Leaves can reach 4 inches in length. Each leaf is toothed. The flowers are deep blue, 2-lipped, and it grows in moist meadows and along streams. | |
| Habitat | Requires full to partial sun, with a medium moist sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Typically occurs in lowland woods, meadows, and swamps. |
| Wetland Indicator | FACW+ / OBL |
| Height | 2 to 4 feet tall |
| Flower | Blue, appears July to September |
| Origin | East of the Rocky Mts. and north of Florida |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Jennifer Anderson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database |
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Panicum amarum |
| A warm season bunchgrass that has a deep root system. | |
| Habitat | Requires dry to moist soil with a pH ranging from 5.0 to 7.5 in loamy or sandy conditions with full sun. It typically grows on sandy shores, alluvium, fields and banks. |
| Wetland Indicator | FACU / FAC |
| Height | 3 to 6 feet tall |
| Flower | Bluish green leaves, appears August to October |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database |
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Panicum clandestinum |
| Deer-tongue is a native grass with stems that are erect, hairy, and round. The leaf blade is stiff, strongly veined, 4 to 8 inches, and broad, tapering to a point. Both upper and lower leaf surfaces are smooth, but the leaf margins are rough. The base of the blade is heart-shaped. Small, oval flowers are borne on fine stalks in an open, sparse, branched flower head, 3 to 6 inches long. | |
| Habitat | Grows best in damp sandy soil with a pH ranging from 4.0 to 7.5, although it is tolerant of drier environments, and can be found in marshy ground, thickets, gardens, wood margins, stream banks, roadsides, and shorelines. It is tolerant of partial shade. |
| Wetland Indicator | FACW / FAC |
| Height | 2 to 4 feet tall |
| Flower | White, 3 to 6 inches long, appears May to September |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln. |
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Panicum virgatum — Switch Grass |
| Switch grass is a spreading perennial grass that grows in large clumps and is often used at the back of the perennial border or as a tall screen. It has recently been found to be the best plant for stabilizing slopes prone to erosion. | |
| Habitat | Requires coarse, fine to medium textured soils with a pH ranging from 4.5 to 7.5 in full sun. The minimum temperature required is -10°F. |
| Wetland Indicator | UPL / FACW |
| Height | 3 to 6 feet tall |
| Flower | Reddish-purple, .125" seeds, appear June to September |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. South National Technical Center, Fort Worth. |
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Peltandra virginica — Arrow Arum |
| Arrow arum leaves are arrowhead-shaped. Its leaves are clustered on long succulent stalks that can be three feet long. The flower spike is surrounded by a bract that is usually yellowish green. | |
| Habitat | Requires coarse, fine to medium textured soils with a pH ranging from 5.2 to 9.5 in partial sun with a minimum temperature of -23°F. It typically grows in swamps and marshes. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 1 to 2 feet tall |
| Flower | Light yellow, appear April to June |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | USDA NRCS @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. South National Technical Center, Fort Worth. |
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Pontederia cordata |
| An aquatic or marsh perennial with a cluster of erect arrowhead-shaped leaves arising from a single basal clump. The individual flowers are elaborately-beautiful, reminiscent of an orchid. Pickerelweed spreads by creeping rhizomes (underground stems) just beneath the surface. | |
| Habitat | Requires coarse, fine to medium textured soil with a pH ranging from 6 to 8 with full sun exposure and a minimum temperature of -23°F. It typically grows in marshes. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 2 to 3 feet tall |
| Flower | Blue, 6 to 8 inch spires that are 1 inch across, appear May to July |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1995. Northeast wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. Northeast National Technical Center, Chester. |
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Sagittaria latifolia |
| Broadleaf arrowhead is an immersed plant. Its large leaves and conspicuous flowers make it easy to find in the wild. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). | |
| Habitat | Requires fine to medium textured soils with a pH ranging from 4.7 to 8.6 in full sun with a minimum temperature of -33°F. It grows commonly in swamps, ditches, lakes, and stream margins. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 4 to 5 feet tall and 1 foot wide |
| Flower | White, 1.5 inches across, appear July to September |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1992. Western wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. West Region, Sacramento. |
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Saururus cernuus — Lizard’s Tail |
| The flower spike arches above the leaves of the plant. After maturity, the flowers become a string of nutlets that resemble a lizard's tail. They can be arrowhead-shaped or heart-shaped, are on stalks, and are alternate on the stem. Leaf stalks form clasps where they join the stem. The thick root mats help stabilize pond banks. | |
| Habitat | Requires shallow water, sun to partial shade with a soil pH ranging from 6.6 to 8.5. It typically grows in ditches, swamps, marshes, and other wetlands. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 6 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 15 inches wide |
| Flower | White, 6 to 8 inches long and 1.5 inches wide, appear May to September |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. South National Technical Center, Fort Worth. |
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Scirpus cyperinus — Wool Grass |
| This large native sedge may first be noticed as a colony, somewhat widely spaced. It is a grass like or rush like plant growing in wet places having solid stems, narrow grass like leaves and spikelets of inconspicuous flowers. | |
| Habitat | Requires coarse, fine to medium textured soil with a pH ranging from 4.8 to 7.2 in moderate sun with a minimum temperature of -33°F. |
| Wetland Indicator | FACW / OBL |
| Height | 5 feet tall |
| Flower | Green, tiny flowers found on the ends of stems, appear July to September |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln. |
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Scirpus fluviatilis — River Bulrush |
| River bulrush, perennial sedge, occurs in drainage and irrigation canals. It grows vegetatively from dark brown tubers that form on underground stems. Seedlings are grass like and rather inconspicuous. Leafless stems end in egg-shaped clusters of flowers subtended by three to five bracts. | |
| Habitat | Requires fine to medium textured soil with a pH ranging from 4.0 to 7.5 in full sun with a minimum temperature of -38°F. It typically grows in moist sandy shores and tidal and nontidal marshes. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 3 to 10 feet tall |
| Flower | Brown, appear July to September |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln. |
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Scirpus pungens — Three Square |
| Three-square might first be encountered as a stand of dark-green triangular stems. Stems are erect, sharply triangular, hard, leaf blades are very long and narrow. Three-square is sometimes planted to control erosion. | |
| Habitat | Requires fine, silty clay to sandy loam soils. Thrives in wet soil but will also grow in water up to 12 inches of water. It is tolerant of moderate alkalinity. It is found in marshes, pond and lake edges, and other wet areas. Usually found in standing water but can withstand periods of drought. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 1 to 4 feet tall |
| Flower | Brown, cluster of 1 to 5 brown spikelets, appear June to September |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | A Photographic Guide to Plants of Humboldt Bay Dunes and Wetlands Compiled by Gordon Leppig & Andrea J. Pickart RELEASE 1.0; January 2005 . http://www.fws.gov/humboldtbay/plantguide/ |
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Scirpus robustus — Salt-Marsh Bulrush |
| Salt-marsh bulrush is a native sedge, which may first be noticed growing along the edges of brackish and saline coastal marshes. They have very large conspicuous, cone-shaped spikelets, and long thin leaves and bracts. | |
| Habitat | Requires soil with a pH ranging from 4.3 to 6.4 in full sun. Water level fluctuations of 6 to 8 inches in spring, summer, or early fall will increase salt marsh bulrush. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 3 feet tall |
| Flower | Brown, dense, conical clusters, appear April to August |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Larry Allain @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database |
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Scirpus tabernaemontani |
Soft stem bulrush is a perennial emergent herb. Stems are round, spongy, to 3 m tall, and 0.3 to 2 cm thick at the base. Leaves are usually loose and open with an oblique border. There is one bract, up to 7 cm long, that originates below the inflorescence and appears as a continuation of the stem. The spikelets are in irregular clusters on stalks of varying lengths. There are several flowers on each spikelet. Each flower has 4 to 6 barbed bristles that are longer than the achene. |
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| Habitat | Requires soil with a pH ranging from 6.5 to 8.5 in full sun. The plants grow in marshes and in shallow water along the margins of streams, ponds, and lakes. Excellent for lower shoreline zone stabilization. Prefers water at a depth of 12–20 inches. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 3 to 9 feet tall |
| Flower | Brown, dense, conical clusters, appears June to August |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.65 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Jennifer Anderson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database |
| NGO online ordering SALE! NGO's receive a 20% discount off Spartina alterniflora online orders. Offer good thru the 2008 season. | order form | |
 |
Spartina alterniflora |
| Spartina alterniflora is a rhizomatous perennial grass. The stems are hollow and hairless. The leaf blades are .25 to .6 inches wide. The leaves lack auricles and have ligules that consist of a fringe of hairs. The flowers are inconspicuous and are borne in greatly congested spikes. The plant is deciduous; its stems die back at the end of each growing season. | |
| Habitat | Requires fine to medium textured soils with a pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 in full sun with a minimum temperature of -13°F. |
| Wetland Indicator | OBL |
| Height | 3 to 5 feet tall |
| Flower | Yellow, 2 to 3 inches long, appear May to July |
| Origin | U.S. Atlantic coast |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database |
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Spartina patens |
| Saltmeadow cordgrass is an erect, rhizomatous grass. The hairless leaf blades are 4 to 19.5 inches long and .33 to 1.5 inches wide at the base. When fresh, leaf blades are generally inrolled and have ridges on the upper surface. The ligules consist of a fringe of hairs, 0.02 inches long. The plant forms dense, single species stands. | |
| Habitat | Requires coarse, fine to medium textures soils with a pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 in full sun with a minimum temperature of -3°F. It typically grows in brackish marshes, low dunes, sand flats, beaches, over-wash areas, and high salt marshes. |
| Wetland Indicator | FAC / OBL |
| Height | 1 to 5 feet tall |
| Flower | Yellow, appear May to July |
| Origin | U.S. native |
| Unit | 72 plug |
| Cost | $0.60 per unit |
| Minimum Order | For delivery: $500 All other orders F.O.B. Perry Hall |
| Photo Credit | Larry Allain @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database |