Landscaping a Detention Basin: Wet-Tolerant Trees, Shrubs, and Maintenance Tips

A detention basin in southeastern PA that alternates between lake and dry needs plants that handle both saturation and drought. Design for function, ecology, and aesthetics.

Trees for Basin Edges (Not Bottom)

• Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
• Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
• Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
• American Elm (Ulmus americana 'Valley Forge')
• Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
• River Birch (Betula nigra)
• Willows (Salix spp.)—use cultivars, not wild types

Shrubs for Basin Bottom and Slopes

• Redosier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
• Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
• Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
• Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
• Viburnum (V. dentatum, V. lentago)
• Pampas Grass (Cortaderia)—check invasiveness
• Bamboo—only clumping types (Fargesia) in containers

Design Tips

• Plant trees at top of bank or upper slope—not in standing water zone.
• Mass shrubs in drifts for habitat and visual impact.
• Include a mowed or gravel path for maintenance access.
• Never plant turf in basin bottom—mowing wet soil destroys structure.
• Add interpretive signage: "Stormwater Feature / Wildlife Habitat."

Maintenance

Annual: remove debris, check outlet, cut back deadwood. Every 3-5 years: sediment removal (pro equipment).

A well-planted basin becomes an asset, not a nuisance.