Native plant occurs naturally in a particular region, state, ecosystem, and habitat without direct or indirect human actions. Using native plants to restore the landscape or as a substitute for exotic ornamental plantings can help to reverse the trend of species loss. If the environment has been altered significantly through human activities, some work will be necessary to recreate an environment more hospitable to native plants.
Selecting plants for stormwater management practices is not a simple process. Stormwater systems are often affected by a number of environmental conditions that are not conducive to plant growth and survival. Some of these environmental conditions include prolonged flooding, fluctuating water levels, sedimentation and pollutants. Learn more about native plants in Alabama in the following table.
Native Plants in Alabama
|
Scientific Name |
Common Name | Growth Habit |
Stormwater Practices |
| Acer saccharinum | silver maple | tree | floodplain
infiltration filtration strips |
| Acorus calamus | sweetflag | herbaceous, grass | wet pond |
| Amorpha fruiticosa | false indigo/indigo bush | shrub | dry pond
floodplain |
| Asclepias incarnata | swamp milkweed/ marsh milkweed | herbaceous | dry swales |
| Betula nigra | river birch | tree | dry pond |
| Boltonia asteroides | white doll’s daisy | herbaceous | rain gardens
infiltration |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis | buttonbush | shrub | wet & dry ponds floodplain
rain gardens infiltration wet swales |
| Cornus amomum | silky dogwood | shrub | floodplain
wet swales |
| Ilex verticillata | winterberry | shrub | rain gardens
infiltration wet swales |
| Lobelia cardinalis | cardinal flower | herbaceous | floodplain
rain gardens infiltration wet swales |
| Lobelia siphilitica | great blue lobelia | herbaceous | dry pond & swales, floodplain
rain gardens wet swales infiltration |
| Osmunda regalis | royal fern | herbaceous | rain gardens
infiltration wet swales filtration strips |
| Physostegia virginiana | obedient plant | herbaceous | floodplain
infiltration wet swales |
| Quercus bicolor | swamp white oak | tree | dry pond
filtration strips |
