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Reflections—Water in the Garden
Brook and Terminal Pond
Riparian Plants
The plants along this stream in Ohio serve many crucial functions: Fallen plant matter like the branches and roots in the foreground provide fish and amphibians with underwater habitats; tree and plant roots along the stream's edge help minimize flooding; and the shade of the forest keeps the water temperature at a viable level for fish and animal life. Photo credit: Ashwin Mudigonda.
Stream- and riverside plants play a crucial role in the environment. Plants, like sweetspire and cattails, which spring up right at the shoreline, serve as highly efficient water filters, trapping and absorbing sediment and pollutants. The strong roots of riparian plants help prevent streambed erosion and flooding. Willow trees provide shade to the water, preventing streams from getting too hot to support animal life like fish and frogs. And the leaves that fall from these trees and plants provide food to stream-dwelling creatures—crayfish, for example, eat the bacteria and fungus that grow on leaves that have fallen into the water. Land animals rely on these plants, too; rabbits and other shy animals feel safe grazing amid the tall grasses along streambeds.
The Origins of the Brook
Dr. Charles Stuart Gager, the first director of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, had his heart set on having a brook that flowed through the garden. Legend has it that he expressed this to Harold Caparn, the Garden's landscape architect, whose reply was something like "Over my dead body!" Dr. Gager politely reminded Mr. Caparn who the boss was and insisted on the creation of what he called "my brook." Soon enough, in 1911, construction began on what the garden staff soon referred to as "My Brook."
Plants Along The Brook
Sweet Pepperbush
Clethra alnifolia
These sweet-and-spicy-smelling white flowers bloom in July and August and attract butterflies and bees. One of a few native summer-blooming shrubs, it likes dappled shade and grows in wet soils; it can also tolerate coastal conditions.
Did you know?
Another common name for this flower is "poor man’s soap" because in New England, the flower spikes were rubbed together to make a soap substitute.
Native habitat
East Coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Florida and including Gulf Coast
Photo: Kenpei
Black Tupelo or Sour Gum
Nyssa sylvatica
Even though it looks as if the tupelo needs water to grow, it can also tolerate drought conditions. The famous southern tupelo honey is made from the nectar of this tree's flowers, which bloom in April. The fall foliage of this native tree is among the most spectacular of deciduous trees.
Did you know?
In 1971, musician Van Morrison released an album, Tupelo Honey, with a single by the same name.
Native habitat
Eastern and southern United States
Photo: Romi Ige
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
This native plant can be found growing along streams and pond borders, and because of its thick growth, it is used as cover for wetland birds. The round, fluffy white flowers attract butterflies and bees when they bloom in July and August.
Did you know?
Some birds, especially mallard ducks, eat the seeds of buttonbush, though they can be toxic to other wildlife.
Native Habitat
Midwestern to eastern United States, plus California and Arizona
Photo: Romi Ige
Dragon-Claw Willow
Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa'
This tree is typically planted near ponds and streams because it is tolerant of varying soils and moisture, but its roots can be invasive near leaky water lines or sewers. Sometimes called the corkscrew willow, the tree's twisted branches are used in floral arrangements and will sometimes form roots while in the vase. Willows are very fast-growing trees—many of the larger ones along the brook were only planted in the 1970s.
Did you know?
A dragon's-claw willow grows in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
Native Habitat
China
Photo: Romi Ige
Black pussy willow
Salix gracilistyla var. melanostachys
Like other pussy willows, this shrub likes to be near water. In the Garden in March, the male and female catkins have black silky "fur" to protect the flowering parts from cold. Under the fur on the plumper males are red anthers, which eventually open up with yellow pollen.
Did you know?
All pussy willows and other willows have male and female flowers on separate plants. The scientific term for this is "dioecious," di meaning "two" and oecious, from the Greek oikos, meaning "house."
Native Habitat
Garden origin in Japan
Photo: Romi Ige
Black Bamboo
Phyllostachys nigra
The brook is used to contain this stand of black bamboo, which is a "running" type of bamboo and spreads. Bamboo is the fastest growing of all woody plants—one kind can grow almost four feet in one day. In China, bamboo is known as "the plant of 1,001 uses." Clothing, building structures, musical instruments, cooking utensils, and fishing poles are made from it—even the filament Thomas Edison used to create the first lightbulb!
Did you know?
"Lucky bamboo," often sold growing in rocks and water, is not a bamboo at all but probably Draceana sanderiana, a tropical plant from western Africa!
Native Habitat
Garden origin in Japan
Artist: Kwok Kay Choey
Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginica
This swamp-loving shrub can be a bit invasive, so it is confined to its own island. In June it produces sweetly fragrant white spires of flowers that droop downward. In fall, the leaves turn a beautiful red to purple color and sometimes hang on well into the winter.
Did you know?
This is the only Itea native to North America; the 15 other species are from Asia.
Native Habitat
Eastern United States from New Jersey south
Photo: Romi Ige
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
Not many people are familiar with the pawpaw, which grows near riverbanks, on floodplains, and in the understory of eastern forests. The pawpaw is the only temperate member of the tropical Annonaceae (custard apple family), which includes cherimoya and guanábana. The fruit tastes like a custardy banana with hints of mango and pineapple.
Did you know?
When Lewis and Clark ran out of food rations on their return trip across the continent, they ate pawpaw fruit to keep from starving!
Native Habitat
Eastern United States
Photo: Romi Ige
Bayberry
Myrica pensylvanica
This native plant can tolerate many soil types and either wet or dry locations. Small whitish-gray fruit the size of peppercorns appear in late summer on the female plants. The fruit has a waxy coating that is used for making aromatic candles, soaps, and sealing wax.
Did you know?
The bayberry can survive in the coastal sand dunes of the Northeast because it can fix nitrogen in the soil, actually adding nitrogen from the air to enrich the sand!
Native Habitat
Eastern North America
Photo: Romi Ige
