Native Plants
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Sunday - December 20, 2009
From: Lawrence, KS
Region: Midwest
Topic: Erosion Control
Title: Plants to stop erosion on hills in Kansas
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I would like to plant some type of forage to stop the erosion on my hills & eliminate some of the mud in my turnout areas. It needs to be something that either horses won't eat or that can survive heavy grazing. Also, non-toxic to horses. What do you recommend?ANSWER:
Grasses are excellent plants to use for erosion control because their extensive fibrous root systems hold the soil in place. You can use the four main prairie grass species: Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem), Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) and Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem). Other grasses that would do well and provide forage for your horses would be Tripsacum dactyloides (eastern gamagrass), Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss), and Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama). These grasses are all native to your area and palatable for the horses.
Here are some other Kansas Recommended perennials that are not harmful to horses.
Desmanthus illinoensis (Illinois bundleflower)
Lespedeza capitata (roundhead lespedeza)
Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea (longbract wild indigo)
Chamaecrista fasciculata (partridge pea)
Desmodium canadense (showy ticktrefoil)
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