Recommend trees for river bank

Dinzee Conlee

Hello,

Have a small river / stream running along a field. There are trees mostly along it, but a few patches here and there...

What would be a good tree to plant to hold the bank?

Thanks...

timfromtang

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Hello,

Have a small river / stream running along a field. There are trees mostly along it, but a few patches here and there...

What would be a good tree to plant to hold the bank?

Thanks...

Hi Dinzee,
What is growing along the bank already? These will be suitable. You don't mention the soil type, but oak, alder, willow, yew, hazel and holly would all likely do well.


tim

Dinzee Conlee

timfromtang wrote: »

Hi Dinzee,
What is growing along the bank already? These will be suitable. You don't mention the soil type, but oak, alder, willow, yew, hazel and holly would all likely do well.


tim

What’s there already - ash, sycamore, Laurel, oak, horse chestnut, willow...

But, it’s more for the root structure to hold the bank, rather than the tree if you know what I mean... some tress had to be cut, and I don’t want the stream eating out the bank where there is no tree now...

I’ll put in some willow cuttings, and they should take... I have plenty of em knocking around...

Would hazel grow from cuttings like that as well, plenty of that about too...

Edit - and thank you Tim...

Rows Grower

The Willow is your man Dinzee, literally just break off a branch and stick it in the bank.

Pidae.m

Think alder would be one of the best

M50Jct15

River bank, definitely willow/sally. If the area around the bank is flood prone then alder is good just back from the river.

Poplar is also an option....like willow, just break off a twig from an existing poplar and stick it in the ground!

80sDiesel

Poplars are your best bet.

greysides

If it's a spot that might ever see grazing animals then omit the Yew. Deadly poisonous.

timfromtang

greysides wrote: »

If it's a spot that might ever see grazing animals then omit the Yew. Deadly poisonous.

aye and in my experience, most stock wont touch it, safer in areas less traveled, in hedges, and edges, Yew is a fantastic timber.
If you have ever wished for a spade handle you could trust not to rot, heart of yew is yer man, strong too, valued by bowyers and turners.

There has been Yew in our hedges and small wooded copses all my life on our farm, its a while since the 60's and over the years with cattle sheep, horses and donkeys we've never had an incident of poisoning although no stock here really since about 2004 though ( a few horses and 2 sheep remain ) .




tim

00wyk

Birches would probably look lovely.

M50Jct15

00wyk wrote: »

Birches would probably look lovely.

They nearly always do!

funkey_monkey

Resurrecting this thread as I've got the same problem with an eroding river bank. Did you get anything sorted Dinzee?

How deep do the willow and sally roots go? What type of willow is the best to use on river banks - I'm assuming that it's not weeping willows that is being talked about here?

A new fence has been put up about 1m in from the river bank so I've got little room for large growing trees. In winter there are a few occasions where the river rises above the bank and floods the field, but the main problem is that there are a few bends in the river and the fast flowing winter floods are causing undercutting.

What smallish trees are best suited for this? Would the tree roots be going underneath the river bed level - I'd not want an eroded tree falling and bringing down a fence either.