Native Trees & Shrubs for Riparian Buffers 

Brush mattresses are layers of living branches laid in a crisscross pattern, 1-2 branches thick and partially covered with soil, on a stream bank to form a living ground cover. The mattress that is formed protects the bank’s surface until the branches can root and native vegetation becomes established. This living system normally roots in the entire bank face, encouraging natural infiltration and immediately acting as a sediment trap.

Live stakes are dormant, live, woody cuttings of a species with the branches trimmed off. Live staking performs an important function in creating a root mat that stabilizes the soil by reinforcing and binding soil particles together. Stake establishment also improves aesthetics and provides a habitat for wildlife. Live stakes can be used on their own to secure other bioengineering materials or as an anchor for erosion control and geo-fabrics. Stakes or poles can also be inserted or driven through openings in rock structures, such as gabions, riprap and other retaining structures.

Live whips are slender, live, woody, shrub material. Whips are well suited for very moist areas of stream edges and commonly used in conjunction with gabion structures, riprap and geo-fabrics.

Wattles, also known as fascines, are living branches bound together in long, tubular bundles. When placed in shallow trenches across the slope of a bank, these structures provide protection from erosion and create a sediment trap. This material provides immediate bank support even prior to root growth. Once established, this live, rooting material grows into a living, fence-like erosion barrier. Within one growing season, roots and shoots grow along the entire length of the structure, quickly stabilizing the bank.

Rooted cuttings, seedlings and containerized plants are used to establish shrubs and trees on restoration projects. These materials should be planted 2’-8’ apart and their roots must be covered with soil at least as deep as when grown in a nursery.