Riparian Zone

Riparian zone: streambanks, often flooded but generally well-drained.

Typical soils: nutrient-rich immature soils (eutrudepts) and more organic variants (hapludolls); on relatively recent floodplain deposits (alluvium).

Typical native trees: include sycamore, box-elder and American elm, but often mixed with species more typical of the uplands; silver maple is more common along larger streams below the park

Native shrubs: include elderberry, dogwoods and willows.

Native grasses and wild-flowers: Some common species can easily spread by seed: e.g. wild-ryes (Elymus macgregorii), phacelias (Phacelia purshii), alexanders (Zizia aurea), lowland coneflower (Rudbeckia lacinata). Rarer species can be more gradually introduced over the years: e.g. reed-grass (Cinna arundinacea), fringed loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata), lowland beebalm (Monarda “serotina”).

For more details: “Riparian Bluegrass” at bluegrasswoodland.com.
See also “Riparian Forest” of KY Nature Preserves; but that is a broad class that includes more acid or infertile soils with river birch, and larger along streams with more silver maple, cottonwood and willows.

Box elder, an important riparian tree species that is often maligned.
Box elder, an important riparian tree species that is often maligned.
https://campus.albion.edu/albiontrees/box-elder/

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