Trees to soak up some excess water

Joaney

Has anyone got any ideas what to grow in an area that can get waterloggedmaybe a tree that would soak up some excess water. Greatful for any help.

Anjo r · Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 2

sorry i don't know anything that would like to grow in a waterlogged area but i hope someone else knows and tells you because i have some very wet areas in my new garden too and thats a question i would like answered also!

GPI · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:29 am Post subject:

Don't expect any of these trees to act like a vacuum, sucking up excess water.
However, they will will cope much better than most with having their feet wet for a partial while.

Betula nigra (River Birch)
Its peeling bark can be grayish brown to reddish brown.
Looks well planted as a multi-stemmed specimen for a clumping effect.

Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
Good autumn colours of yellow, orange and red.
Dense clusters of small red flowers produced in late winter/early spring

Alnus glutinosa (Our native black Alder) Irish Alder info here.

Many the Salix (Willow) Irish willow info here.

See how you get on with them.

Joaney · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: Willows

I can see where you are coming from by planting willows. Last year I planted a weeping willow in the center of a large area of lawn but it does not seem to be happy, some '' moss'' is growing on the stem is this a bad sign am I about to lose it .

crosseyedsheep · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject:

Not native but I read somewhere that some Eucalyptus (I think it was specifically Eucalyptus gunnii) are used to dry up wet areas in Auz/NZ.

medieval knievel · Rowan Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 115

don't forget that in the winter, when the ground is most likely to be waterlogged, that the trees will be dormant and will be sucking up little water.

Joaney · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:14 pm Post subject:

If not a tree , what else would you sugest for this area.

verge · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:41 am Post subject:

Gunnera manicata, grows like hell and loves wet soil.

Joaney · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject:

When you say grows like hell what do you mean?

medieval knievel · Rowan Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 115

it's herbaceous - dies back in the winter. i don't know if it's a relative of the rhubarb, but is quite similar, except it grows much bigger - a friend has one which was taller than i am last year - and is much tougher and scalier than rhubarb. likes the water.

Joaney · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:37 pm Post subject:

Thanks I will give it a try this year.

verge · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:36 am Post subject:

Rach · Hazel Tree Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 27

Hi there,

Just thought I'd mention about Gunnera tinctoria (aka G. chilensis),
which is a nasty garden escapee.
It has become a serious problem in parts of the West, Achill island etc and also New Zealand.
It's size/shade prevents native species from growing near it and it appears to be very invasive.

Although ,as far as I know Gunnera manicata doesn't spread by seed so it may be ok. Does anyone know about this?

Rach