Wetland areas require specialist advice on the correct plants to use for specific climates. Similarly, septic and effluent fields also require expert knowledge on how the fields work and what must be considered when contemplating planting. The Plant Company provides expert advice to aid you get the best results and desired outcomes.
You can plant on a septic field (rather than having it as lawn) but the choice of plants depends on the design. For example, if the pipes are buried just 30-50 cm below the soil with limited pea metal around them, you will want to just stick with grasses and shallow rooted shrubs. If the system is at 1 m and surrounded by large volumes of pea metal or gravel, any shallow rooted species will be fine.
Having pea metal around a pipe with sediment cloth overtop creates an area of air around the pipe that is free from soil. The large air voids between the pea metal creates an air gap that plant roots can’t penetrate. Roots cannot grow through air (generally speaking) and are “air pruned” when they try. Even if the effluent field is poor draining and the pipes are constantly underwater, few plants have roots that will grow through water.
The Plant Company has prepared detailed information and hundreds of expert advice articles to accompany many of our plants. Feel free to contact us to help determine and price a solution for your specific need. Otherwise, feel free to keep browsing our suite of articles covering plants for wet areas or our other plant species.
Landscape designing for a septic field requires an understanding of the system installed. Specifically, the depth of the pipes, the amount of pea metal used around the pipes, the spacing between the pipes, and how well the soil drains. Once we know this and determine the surrounding vegetation and architecture, along with the clients’ objectives, we can then start to design the planting of a septic or effluent field. If you would like some assistance with this, our Landscape Design Service is here to help. The Plant Company is experienced and highly competent in this area.
Plants used for effluent disposal areas need to soak up nutrients in the water, stabilise the soil, and look great. They must also be able to survive in continuously damp soils, and cope with anything in the discharge water (within reason). Therefore, getting the right species and advice is critical to avoiding failure and unnecessary cost. The Plant Company typically recommends using NZ natives for these projects as they tend to be more reliable and robust. NZ natives are also encouraged by regional authorities due to their soil and water purifying abilities.
Tree and shrub options commonly used include: Blechnum novae-zelandiae; Marble Leaf, Carpodetus serratus; Swamp Coprosma, Coprosma propinqua; Mirror Bush, Coprosma repens; Cabbage Trees, Cordyline australis; Karaka, Corynocarpus laevigatus; Tree Fuchsia, Fuchsia excorticata; Pukatea, Laurelia novae-zelandiae; Koromiko, Hebe stricta; Lacebark, Hoheria populnea; Manuka, Leptospermum scoparium; Kawakawa, Macropiper excelsum; and Puriri, Vitex lucens.
Grass and flax plants commonly used include: OiOI, Apodasmia similis; Renga Renga Lillies, Arthropodium; Purei, Carex secta; ToeToe, Cortaderia fulvida; Umbrella Sedge, Cyperus; NZ Blueberry, Dianella nigra; Pepepe, Machaerina sinclairii; and Harakeke, Phormium tenax.
If the choices are too vast, feel free to contact us to help determine and price a solution for you. Otherwise, feel free to keep browsing our suite of articles covering plants for wet areas.
Waste water areas require plants that can survive in continuously damp soils and with anything in the discharges. Therefore, getting the right species and advice is critical to avoiding failure and unnecessary cost. The Plant Company typically recommends using NZ natives for these projects as they tend to be more reliable and robust. NZ natives are also encouraged by regional authorities due to their ability to purify soil and water.
Tree and shrub options commonly used include: Blechnum novae-zelandiae; Marble Leaf, Carpodetus serratus; Swamp Coprosma, Coprosma propinqua; Mirror Bush, Coprosma repens; Cabbage Trees, Cordyline australis; Karaka, Corynocarpus laevigatus; Tree Fuchsia, Fuchsia excorticata; Pukatea, Laurelia novae-zelandiae; Koromiko, Hebe stricta; Lacebark, Hoheria populnea; Manuka, Leptospermum scoparium; Kawakawa, Macropiper excelsum; and Puriri, Vitex lucens.
Grass and flax plants commonly used include: OiOI, Apodasmia similis; Renga Renga Lillies, Arthropodium; Purei, Carex secta; ToeToe, Cortaderia fulvida; Umbrella Sedge, Cyperus; NZ Blueberry, Dianella nigra; Pepepe, Machaerina sinclairii; and Harakeke, Phormium tenax.
If the choices are too vast, feel free to contact us to help you determine and price the solution. Otherwise, feel free to keep browsing our suite of articles covering plants for wet areas.
Plants on a septic field do two things. Firstly, they soak up the nutrients in the water, and secondly, they improve the aesthetics of the area. However, the plants must also be able to survive in continuously damp soils, and cope with anything in the discharge water (within reason). Therefore, getting the right species and advice is critical to avoiding failure and unnecessary cost. The Plant Company typically recommends using NZ natives for these projects as they tend to be more reliable and robust. NZ natives are also encouraged by regional authorities due to their soil and water purifying abilities.
Tree and shrub options commonly used include: Blechnum novae-zelandiae; Marble Leaf, Carpodetus serratus; Swamp Coprosma, Coprosma propinqua; Mirror Bush, Coprosma repens; Cabbage Trees, Cordyline australis; Karaka, Corynocarpus laevigatus; Tree Fuchsia, Fuchsia excorticata; Pukatea, Laurelia novae-zelandiae; Koromiko, Hebe stricta; Lacebark, Hoheria populnea; Manuka, Leptospermum scoparium; Kawakawa, Macropiper excelsum; and Puriri, Vitex lucens.
Grass and flax plants commonly used include: OiOI, Apodasmia similis; Renga Renga Lillies, Arthropodium; Purei, Carex secta; ToeToe, Cortaderia fulvida; Umbrella Sedge, Cyperus; NZ Blueberry, Dianella nigra; Pepepe, Machaerina sinclairii; and Harakeke, Phormium tenax.
If the choices are too vast, feel free to contact us to help determine and price a solution for you. Otherwise, feel free to keep browsing our suite of articles covering plants for wet areas.
Manuka will grow pretty much anywhere. It is found growing naturally in wetlands, coastal areas, on wind swept ridges, and even in geothermal areas. Manuka has an amazing tolerance to such a wide variety of climates and environmental conditions, that is matched by only a few other native species such as Harakeke, Phormium tenax. These qualities make such an important species for NZ’s fauna and biodiversity.
Wetland plants are typically those that can grow in water or on the edge of water. There are a number of NZ native species that have adapted well to such environments. These include: OiOI, Apodasmia similis; Raupo, Typha orientalis; Giant Umbrella Sedge, Cyperus ustulatus; Purei, Carex secta; ToeToe, Cortaderia fulvida; Swamp Coprosma, Coprosma propinqua; Club Rush, Ficinia nodosa; Jointed Twig Rush, Baumea articulata; and Harakeke, Phormium tenax.
The Plant Company has prepared detailed information and hundreds of expert advice articles to accompany many of our plants. Feel free to contact us to help determine and price a solution for you. Otherwise, feel free to keep browsing our suite of articles covering plants for wet areas or our other plant species.
There are many NZ natives that thrive in wet and poorly drained soils. Grasses and flaxes that do well include: OiOI, Apodasmia similis; Renga Renga Lillies, Arthropodium; Purei, Carex secta; ToeToe, Cortaderia fulvida; Umbrella Sedge, Cyperus; NZ Blueberry, Dianella nigra; Pepepe, Machaerina sinclairii; Raupo, Typha orientalis; and Harakeke, Phormium tenax.
There are also numerous trees and shrubs that also do well in such environments. Blechnum novae-zelandiae; Marble Leaf, Carpodetus serratus; Swamp Coprosma, Coprosma propinqua; Mirror Bush, Coprosma repens; Cabbage Trees, Cordyline australis; Karaka, Corynocarpus laevigatus; Tree Fuchsia, Fuchsia excorticata; Pukatea, Laurelia novae-zelandiae; Koromiko, Hebe stricta; Lacebark, Hoheria populnea; Manuka, Leptospermum scoparium; Kawakawa, Macropiper excelsum; Seven Finger, Schefflera digitata; Ribbonwood, Plagianthus regius; Swamp Maire, Syzygium maire; and Puriri, Vitex lucens are all good options.
If the choices are too vast, feel free to contact us to help determine and price a solution for you. Otherwise, feel free to keep browsing our suite of articles covering plants for wet areas.
Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.
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