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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281 |
With the craze to create more pollinator habitat (a good thing), I have not come across popular articles about pond plants contributing. In addition to swamp milkweed as food and nectar sources for Monarchs, and water lily flowers being frequented by butterflies, pickerel weed sure attracts native bees like these bumble bees! The value of this ecosystem service should be better recognized!
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 101
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 101 |
Beautiful Rah! I wish my pickerel weed survived it's first winter. I 'll have to do with broadleaf arrowhead and they really don't attract a lot of pollinators, but the native land plants around the pond can bring is some bees.
Fish on!, Noel
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281 |
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 411 Likes: 3
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 411 Likes: 3 |
Consider water willow as well. More than one species and they seem to benefit from water movement near roots. Small ponds I have yet to establish around perimeter but is can thrive around lakes with lots of fetch and constant water level. A lake in southern Illinois has stands that may be better than others for establishing in private ponds but legality needs to be addressed.
Aquaculture Cooperative Research / Extension Lincoln University of Missouri
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,424 Likes: 19
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,424 Likes: 19 |
I consider willows invasive. I pull every seedling I find around the ponds. They will take over and in a few years lead to filling in of the pond around edges and cause leaks in the dam. Plus they limit access to the pond when they get thick. Fishing lines get hung in them when when casting, and just an all around nuisance.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281 |
Jim - I do not have any water willow but would like to add some to 2 new wetlands and a new pond. Any recommendations for a quality source?
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086 Likes: 93
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086 Likes: 93 |
All you have to do here is wait. I have to kill it out all around my ponds every year to keep it from spreading.
At least that is the case if it is the willow I am familiar with. I don't know if it comes in with the birds or floats in on the wind or what, but it shows up here and there will be sprouts all along any bare shoreline where grass or other plants are not already well established.
Last edited by snrub; 06/20/18 12:52 PM.
John
I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281 |
Water willow is a herbaceous plant not related to willow trees. I too kill the willow trees (glove of death!).
Last edited by RAH; 06/20/18 01:00 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,424 Likes: 19
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,424 Likes: 19 |
Water willow is a herbaceous plant not related to willow trees. I too kill the willow trees (glove of death!). Sorry, I thought the "water willow" was a reference to common black willow trees (salix sp). Common willow can spread by seeds in the wind commonly carried 1/2 mile or more. Also, any broken green twigs that land in wet spots can easily take root.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281 |
I think a lot more people would consider it if it did not have "willow" as part of its name. I may actually have a small patch in an emergent wetland built by INDOT, but it is not blooming, so I need to wait. Just need to be sure its not smartweed, although that is a good plant for wildlife as well. We are finally getting good rain, so its a bit mucky right now.
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 2
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 2 |
I have a 30-40 year old weeping willow close to my natural pond who’s roots have turned into humongous mats inside the pond along the bank. I can pull the mats up in huge clumps and pull them out, but I have no idea if the mats are good for the wildlife habitat frogs, snakes, baby fish etc or it is a detriment. It is also a collector of algae that sits on top. I do not want to kill the willow. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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