In RI? Now? Flower color? Shrub?

H. vernalis is one I can think of.

I should have been more specific, duh! I was thinking of a bloom period from say, March through the autumn. Could be bulbs, perennials, shrubs or anything that flowers.

I think that if you give some more information about the spot you'll get more specific suggestions. Some of the things you should tell us are:

A. How close to the water are you going to plant? If you're planting more than a foot or so above the normal water level, and if the area isnt' subject to long periods of flooding or high velocity water, then the fact that there is a river there really won't limit the types of plants that could grow. If the area is close to the water and under natural conditions doesn't support many plants, it is probably under water too often and you'll have only a few plants to choose from.

B. Is the spot sunny or shady? If it is a sunny spot then most prairie plants will do well. A shady spot will call for woodland or woodland-edge plants.

C. Is the bank steep and/or eroding, so that the plants will need to hold back the soil?

Viburnum lentigo, cassinoides, trilobum, Ilex verticillata, ninebark, red osier dogwood, grey dogwood, some of the serviceberries, depending on the slope, flowering dogwood, wildflowers - cardinal flower, giant blue lobelia any wet meadow plants if they are near water and slope not that great and the area has occasional flooding.If the slope is greater than lets say 40 degrees any upland wildflower will do if its shady - shady wildflowers - if its sunny -wildflowers that need sun..I hope this helps

Jeff

Really really short version:

if you were in southern Indiana and made extensive searches in any given county, you would find at least 200 species of flowering plants along streams.

I've done that particular experiment, actually, and could compile a reasonably comprehensive list for Monroe County in a few hours.

Patrick Alexander

I live on a lake in Northern Vermont (zone 3). The bank along the lake is eroding. Normally, the water is a foot or so below the surface of the land. The bank faces west. It is sunny in the afternoon. The lake never rises above the bank. What plants or bushes can I plant to hold the land and protect it from erosion? Blueberry bushes? Others?
Thanks,

Banks erode from the bottom, so that is where the erosion is most readily combatted. You might try "planting" willow, alder, or cottonwood stakes at the base of the bank right at water level. Find a willow from which you can cut several large branches. Cut the branch into pieces that are 1 inch or larger in diameter, and at least 3 feet long. Remove all of the leaves and side branches from the lower half of the cutting, allowing a few to remain on the upper half so that you'll be able to tell which half was the upper half while the branch was on its tree. Then you simply push the stakes into the soil at the base of the bank. Depending on the soil you can use longer stakes or shorter ones, if it is rocky and had to push them in. I'd place the stakes a foot apart to get a really thick growth of willows.

Roadside ditches are good places to find willows that you can cut. I wouldn't worry about the tree you're cutting from - it will quickly grow back, and roadside trees are frequently trimmed anyway. You can do this anytime from now until late summer.