Slow the flow at your Maine Lakefront Property

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Slow the flow at your Maine Lakefront Property

Slow the flow at your Maine Lakefront Property

A Brilliant Summer Day on Androscoggin Lake

by Leigh Macmillen Hayes
Healthy buffers along lakefront properties are our last defense in the effort to preserve water quality. These riparian buffers are vegetated zones of land rather than green golf-course like lawns adjacent to the water. The buffer acts as a filter by absorbing water that is often laden with pollutants, sediments and nutrients that are harmful to the lake. Vegetation also helps control erosion.
The Buffer Handbook: A guide to creating vegetated buffers for lakefront properties, first published in 1998 and updated in 2011, is an excellent resource. Developed by Phoebe Hardesty of the Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District and Cynthia Kuhn of Lake And Watershed Resource Management, the guide defines and explains the benefits of a vegetated buffer and things to consider when designing one.

 

 

 

 

 


Here are a few native plants that work well if your lakefront property is shady with moist to wet soils:

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Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum pubescens) Grows from 1 to 3 feet high. Typically found in wooded areas. Leaves are slightly hairy underneath and late spring to early summer flowers are a greenish white in color. Deep blue berries form in the fall. Grows best in full to partial shade with rich moist soil. Zone 3-9.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) Grows from 1 to 2 feet high with a spread of 1 to 11⁄2 feet. Unusually shaped and striped “flower” in mid-spring; clusters of brilliant red berries in fall. Typically grows in wet woodland areas and may take 5 years to flower if grown from seed. Roots are poisonous. Prefers medium wet to wet rich organic soils and partial to full shade. Zones 3-9.

bunchberry

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) Grows to approximately 6 inches in height and spreads easily. Favors moist, rich, acidic soils. Grows best in partial to full shade. Larger white bracts surround small green flowers. A red berry is produced in the fall is attractive to birds. Zones 2-6.

hemlock

Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) Can grow up to 80 feet with a 30 foot spread in ideal conditions. Large, irregular, pyramidal tree. Small, deep-green needles with a loose, feathery appearance. Small, interesting cones. Also available in dwarf forms. Sun to shade. Does best in cool, moist, well-drained soil. Tolerates shade and some flooding. Zones 3-7.

mapleleaf

Mapleleaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) Grows from 4 to 6 feet high with an equal spread. Prefers well-drained, mildly acidic soil with average moisture but can tolerate drier soils. Grows best in shade to partial shade. Similar to other viburnums, a cluster of small white flowers gives way to dark blue/black fruits. Zones 4-8.
Creating a vegetated buffer will help slow the flow.
To learn more about lakefront properties for sale on Androscoggin Lake in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine, click on the green button above.
To learn more about the region, check out these blog posts:
Androscoggin Lake in Wayne and Leeds, Maine, is “An Everyday Joy” For Summer Vacation Visitors
Lakefront Property Owners Still Sailing at the Androscoggin Yacht Club in Wayne, Maine

 

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