Re: [AGA-Member] Plants for a stream

[Heather J Gladney <hgladney@comcast.net>]

First, congratulations on your stream!
Given all the issues with invasive foreign plants (water hyacinth etc.) 
in so many areas, if this is a free-flowing stream that connects to 
other open waters, you may want to check with local garden and wildlife 
experts on what already grows well and supports wildlife in your local 
streams, and also works well as decorative garden pond/stream plants.
Even in self-contained recirculating systems, birds can carry scraps of 
invasive materials elsewhere if it's flowing across quite a span of space!
I understand ponds and streams really require a balance among different 
elements, such as sub-surface oxygenators as well as showy surface items 
like water lilies.
I'm not sure what the names of the English version would be, but there's 
folks out there all over the world who collect, raise, and breed native 
fishes, and they could probably tell you a great deal about how to 
improve shelter and variety in your local biotope.  Also, for the 
gardening end of it, some of the Audobon-type folks, animal rescue 
groups, or the Native Plant Society-types of folks would be excellent 
resources to contact.  I hear that some of the rock gardening fiends 
over there, for instance, are also deeply into native plants.  There's 
probably folks in all these organizations on our side of the Pond who 
could refer you to other folks. 
Short google search on UK native platns brought up this:
http://nature.ac.uk/browse/581.941.html  (a list of lists)
http://www.crescentbloom.com/II/J/11a.htm
http://www.plantlife.org.uk/

and of course BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg2/flat/module4/water_garden_plants1.shtml

Then I started pulling up UK water plant nurseries, and got this bit:
Offwell Woodland and Wildlife Trust, promoting the British Countryside  
(which I didn't get up above, but souns sort of like what you might want)
http://www.offwell.free-online.co.uk/wetland_survey/adaptns.htm

Then this one:
http://www.garden-pond-plants.com/oxygenators1.htm
For indigenous plants to the UK: Water Starwort, (Callatriche 
stagnalis), rampant but easy to crop to its source.
Water Milfoil, (Myriophyllum spicatum), loves limey pools with high pH 
and does well where Elodea crispa fails. You get the bonus of little 
flowers in some years that looks magical in certain lights.
Hornwort, (Ceratophyllum demersum), this is often confused with Milfoil 
out of the water, but it feels much stiffer and has more forked growth 
habit. This is one that does not mind a bit of shade on the pool.
Water Violet (Hottonia palustris), class act for the connoisseur; it has 
pretty little pink flowers above the water surface in May and June.

Since I can't tell you who's reliable and who's not, I'll just toss out 
a few more googled links I found, for whatever it's worth...
http://www.bromfieldaquatics.co.uk/
http://www.webscout.com/freshwater-plants.htm (another list of lists)
http://www.wetlandplants.co.uk/home.ihtml
http://www.pondplants.co.uk/
http://www.aaquarium.com/
It looks like there's lots of them that appear online.  Of course 
there's folks who know of great places to recommend, but here's a start, 
anyway!  You may want to cross-check local directory listings to pick 
places to visit.
Hope this is some help!

Jennie & Roy wrote:

> Any suggestions for planting in a stream, can plant in protected area, not moving water, but plants may be coverered at times when water rises
>
> Roy (England)
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