Wetlands: more or less poorly drained, often with stagnant water but sometimes drying out in summer. At the park, this habitat is confined to the artificially dammed section that is locally dominated by cat-tails. Plantings will include native wetland species from around the region.
Typical soils: nutrient-rich immature soils (fluvaquents) and more organic variants (haplaquolls); on subhydric/hydric floodplain deposits (alluvium).
Typical native trees: green ash (much reduced by Emerald Ash Borer but resistance to be selected); swamp white oak (now uncommon in region),
Native shrubs: include swamp rose, swamp dogwood, buttonbush.
Native grasses and wild-flowers: These include some rare but showy herbaceous species to try in the park: for example marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), blue-flag iris (I. shrevei), featherbells (Stenanthium gramineum), southern ladies-tresses (Spiranthes odorata).
For more details: “Bluegrass Wetlands” at bluegrasswoodland.com.
See also “Wet Bottomland Hardwood Forest” of KY Nature Preserves; but that is a broad class that includes less fertile soils with sweetgum, black-gum and red maple, plus more southern habitats with overcup oak etc
