It’s best to avoid soil erosion by choosing plants that help to prevent it. Some of these plants can survive in shade, while others need full sun.
So, what are some plants for erosion control? Plants for erosion control include: Ditch Lily, Goji Berry, Hyssop, Pawpaw, Pink Muhly Grass, Plumbago, Rosemary, Sago Palm, White Clover, and Yarrow. Some of these plants also have attractive foliage or flowers.
Of course, some of these plants will be a better fit for your garden than others, depending on water, temperature, and soil needs.
In this article, we’ll talk about 10 plants that prevent soil erosion. We’ll also take a look at what they need for light, water, and other important growth factors.
Let’s get started.
10 Plants That Prevent Soil Erosion (Plants For Erosion Control)
There are plenty of plants that prevent soil erosion, but here are 10 to start with:
- Ditch Lily
- Goji Berry
- Hyssop
- Pawpaw
- Pink Muhly Grass
- Plumbago
- Rosemary
- Sago Palm
- White Clover
- Yarrow
Let’s begin with Ditch Lily.
Ditch Lily
Ditch Lily (Hemerocallis fulva) is a drought tolerant perennial ground cover herb that helps to prevent erosion. It produces a showy 3 to 4 inch orange flower with a red eye and gold throat (in late spring or summer).
Ditch Lily needs moderate to dry moisture levels. It needs good drainage in a container. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Ditch Lily prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0).
Ditch Lily can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3a (as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit or –40 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 24 to 36 inches, with a width of 15 to 18 inches.
You can propagate Ditch Lily by division or by seeds.
You can learn more about Ditch Lily from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Ditch Lily from Direct Gardening.
Goji Berry
Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum) is a deciduous vine that helps to prevent erosion. It produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) lavender flowers in spring.
Goji Berry needs moderate moisture levels, but it is suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Goji Berry prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.6 to 7.8).
Goji Berry can tolerate severe cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 10 feet, with a width of 3 to 4 feet.
You can propagate Goji Berry by layering, stem cuttings, tip cuttings, or seeds (the plant is self-fertile).
You can learn more about Goji Berry from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Goji Berry from Growjoy.
Hyssop
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is a perennial ground cover plant that helps to prevent erosion. It produces tiny (under 1 inch) purple flowers from late spring to early fall.
Hyssop needs moderate to dry moisture levels and needs good drainage in a container. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Hyssop likes full sun but tolerates partial or full shade. It can tolerate acidic, alkaline, or neutral soil pH.
Hyssop can tolerate cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6 (as cold as -5 degrees Fahrenheit or –21 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 18 to 24 inches, with a width of 18 to 24 inches.
Hyssop is self-fertile.
You can learn more about Hyssop from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Hyssop from the Shop at Monticello.
Pawpaw
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a deciduous tree that can help to prevent soil erosion. It produces small (1 to 2 inch) showy red, purple, or multicolor flowers in spring.
Pawpaw needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Pawpaw prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It tolerates slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).
Pawpaw can tolerate severe cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 15 to 35 feet, with a width of 15 to 30 feet.
You can propagate Pawpaw by root cuttings or seed.
You can learn more about Pawpaw trees in my article here.
You can also learn more about Pawpaw from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Pawpaw from Willis Orchards.
Pink Muhly Grass
Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is a perennial drought-tolerant grass that helps to prevent soil erosion. It produces showy pink or red flowers in late summer, fall, or early winter.
Pink Muhly Grass can handle moderately wet soil, but it can survive in dry soil and drought conditions. It needs good soil drainage. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Pink Muhly Grass prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers acidic to neutral soil (pH of 5.1 to 7.3).
Pink Muhly Grass can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 36 to 48 inches, with a width of 36 to 48 inches.
You can propagate Pink Muhly Grass by division.
You can learn more about Pink Muhly Grass from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Pink Muhly Grass from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Plumbago
Plumbago is a perennial evergreen shrub that tolerates salt and helps to prevent erosion. It produces small (1 to 2 inch) showy blue or white flowers in spring, summer, or fall.
Plumbago needs moderate moisture levels, but it will tolerate drought. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Plumbago prefers full sun, but it will tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic soil (pH of 6.1 to 6.5).
Plumbago cannot tolerate much cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8b (as cold as 15 degrees Fahrenheit or –9 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 10 feet, with a width of 8 feet.
You can propagate Plumbago by layering or stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Plumbago from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Plumbago from Calloway’s Nursery.
Rosemary
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is an evergreen drought tolerant perennial herb or shrub that helps to prevent erosion. It produces tiny (less than 1 inch) showy fragrant blue, lavender, pink, or white flowers in late spring or summer.
Rosemary needs moderate to dry moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Rosemary needs full sun. It prefers slightly acidic to alkaline soil (pH of 6.6 to 8.5).
Rosemary can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8a (as cold as 10 degrees Fahrenheit or –12 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 2 to 6 feet, with a width of 2 to 4 feet.
You can propagate Rosemary by layering, tip cuttings, or seeds.
You can learn more about Rosemary from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Rosemary from Plant Delights.
Sago Palm
Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) is a nitrogen-fixing perennial evergreen plant that helps to prevent soil erosion. It produces false flowers (cones for males, modified leaves for females) in spring or early summer.
Sago Palm needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and it tolerates humidity. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Sago Palm prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic soil (pH of 6.1 to 6.5).
Sago Palm can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8b (as cold as 15 degrees Fahrenheit or -9 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 4 to 10 feet.
You can propagate Sago Palm by offsets or seeds (the plant is self-fertile).
You can learn more about Sago Palm from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Sago Palm from Real Palm Trees.
White Clover
White Clover (Trifolium repens) is a nitrogen-fixing perennial ground cover herb that helps to prevent erosion. It produces tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in spring, summer, or early fall.
White Clover needs moderate moisture levels, and it tolerates drought. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
White Clover prefers full sun, but can survive in partial shade. It can slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH of 6.0 to 7.0).
White Clover can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit or -34 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of less than 6 inches, making it compact as low-lying ground cover.
You can propagate White Clover by seed.
You can learn more about White Clover from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find White Clover from American Meadows.
Yarrow
Yarrow (Achilliea millefolium) is a nitrogen-fixing perennial ground cover herb that helps to prevent erosion. It produces fragrant white or pink flowers in spring or summer.
Yarrow needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and it tolerates drought. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Yarrow prefers full sun, but can survive in partial shade. It can tolerate a range of acidic or alkaline soil (pH of 4.0 to 8.0).
Yarrow can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3 (as cold as -35 degrees Fahrenheit or -37 degrees Celsius).
This plant can grow to a height of 24 to 36 inches and a width of 24 to 36 inches.
You can propagate Yarrow by division, offsets, or stolons and runners.
You can learn more about Yarrow from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Yarrow from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Conclusion
Now you know about 10 plants that prevent soil erosion and how to take care of them. They might provide inspiration to help you to improve your landscape and add beauty to your yard.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here. Enjoy!
~Jonathon