Trees for wetland areas

houseboy · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:50 am Post subject: Trees for wetland areas

Hi,

I have a small paddock/meadow area which gets increasingly waterlogged from about now until May. I would like to plant a stand of trees/saplings here in order to make use of the space and create a small copse. Could anyone tell me which trees would suit the conditions? The soil is a heavy clay, moderately alkaline, and the paddock (in The Burren) gets the prevailing westerly winds/gales. Also, would any trees be thirstier than others? I would like to aid the drainage of the whole paddock too, if possible...

Cheers! Smile

medieval knievel · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:10 am Post subject:

alder typically grow beside rivers, and are fairly water tolerant, but i don't know if they dislike heavy clay soil.

James Kilkelly · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:32 pm Post subject:

Trees for damp clay soils......
Most Serviceberry trees (Amelanchier)
Black alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Most birches especially River birch (Betula nigra)
Most poplars
Most willow

houseboy · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:53 pm Post subject:

lovely stuff, I'll give the birches, alders and willows a try.

Cheers!

kindredspirit · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:14 pm Post subject:

I know a stand of alders that are growing in permanently 3 feet of water.

They're lovely trees. Their leaves are always dancing even when there's apparently no wind.

The silver sally (willow) is lovely too.

BurnedGrass · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:25 pm Post subject: Trees for wetland areas

I am in the exact same situation as the original poster and was wondering how the birches, alders and willows have faired in the first year?

Also, most of the research I have done points to Alnus Cordata (Italian Alder)
for wet (boggy, clay soil) and windy option. Please comment.