Midwest River & Stream Warrior Plants
Native Plants for Streambank Stabilization, Erosion Control & Aquatic Buffers
Looking to restore your riverbanks, creeks, or riparian corridors with native plants that thrive in moving water and fluctuating moisture levels? Our Midwest River & Stream Warrior Plants are specifically selected for their resilience in high-flow stream environments. These native grasses, sedges, rushes, and wildflowers stabilize soil, filter runoff, and support biodiversity—making them ideal for ecological restoration, stormwater management, and erosion control.
Whether you’re planting on cut banks, toe slopes, or deposition zones, we’ve categorized species by slope position and soil preference to simplify your planning process. Many of these species also offer seasonal beauty and critical habitat for pollinators, amphibians, and aquatic life.
You also many be interested in this presentation we gave on integrated pest management with a focus on wetland and streams.
Cut Bank Side Of River/Stream
Toe Slope (very tough zone area in high flow / scour streams)
Schoenoplectus pungens or Schoenoplectus americanus (Chairmaker's Bulrush) does well in silty, clayey, rocky
Justicia americana (AmericanWater Willow) does well in rock and gravel only
Leersia oryzoides (Rice Cut Grass)
Cut Bank Low to Mid Slope
Leersia oryzoides (Rice Cut Grass)
Spartina pectinata (Prairie Cordgrass)
Carex lacustris (Common Lake Sedge)
Carex atherodes (Hairy-leaved Lake Sedge)
Hibiscus laevis / Hibiscus militaris (Halberdleaf Rosemallow)
Iris virginica var. shrevei (Southern Blue Flag)
Acorus americanus (Sweet Flag)
Carex emoryi (Riverbank Sedge / Emory's Sedge)
Cut Bank High Slope
Leersia oryzoides (Rice Cut Grass)
Spartina pectinata (Prairie Cordgrass)
Carex trichocarpa (Hairy-fruited Lake Sedge)
Deposition Side & Straight Sections of River/Stream
Toe Slope
Schoenoplectus pungens or Schoenoplectus americanus (Chairmaker's Bulrush) does well in silty, clayey, rocky
Justicia americana (AmericanWater Willow) does well in rock and gravel only
Leersia oryzoides (Rice Cut Grass)
Hibiscus laevis / Hibiscus militaris (Halberdleaf Rosemallow)
Cut Bank Low To Mid Slope
Leersia oryzoides (Rice Cut Grass)
Spartina pectinata (Prairie Cordgrass)
Carex lacustris (Common Lake Sedge)
Carex emoryi (Riverbank Sedge / Emory's Sedge)
Hibiscus laevis / Hibiscus militaris (Halberdleaf Rosemallow)
Iris virginica var. shrevei (Southern Blue Flag)
Acorus americanus (Sweet Flag)
Schoenoplectus acutus (Hardstem Bulrush)
Schoenoplectus fluviatilis or Bolboschoenus fluviatilis (River Bulrush)
Cut Bank High Slope
Spartina pectinata (Prairie Cordgrass)
READ OUR REVIEWS
Daniel
Daniel
★★★★★
Natural communities and specifically Nick has been an
excellent and knowledgeable entity to work with on my big project. With the
help of my school, my students, many community partners, and Natural
Communities, we are in the process of restoring an area on a high school campus
to a natural prairie/pond area. Nick has come out to do site visits, he has
recommended various plant species that would work best for us, and he has been
able to get us what we want wholesale. Our site is not an easy project because
we are restricted to only native plants and native seeds and Natural
Communities has excelled in meeting our needs on this. Overall, I am so glad we
ended up working with Natural Communities because they have helped so much.
Ron
Ron
★★★★★
Our company has worked with Nick Fuller since before he
became Chief Ecological Officer for Natural Communities, LLC. His
knowledge of native plants and native seeds is remarkable. Nick was the
original steward of our 4-acre wildflower/wild grass prairie and has served us
as a reliable consultant ever since 2006. His continuing insights have
helped us to maintain and grow a healthy ecosystem.
Kathy
Kathy
★★★★★
I am extremely pleased with the one hour consultation I had
with Nick Fuller regarding our wetland creek. We have invasive plants and
grasses that have taken over our creek bed and we needed guidance on how to
both effectively remove the invasives and restore the area with native
plants suitable for the creek. Nick asked pertinent questions that allowed Nick
to identify plants and shrubs suitable for the area with a timeline for
planting. Nick also provided a detailed outline of the steps needed to remove the
invasives. I highly recommend Nick to anyone seeking help with their native
plant garden or to anyone interested in growing a native plant garden.
Shane
Shane
★★★★★
Spoke to owner in depth regarding a couple of different
projects I’m working on- very knowledgeable and professional. I plan on
purchasing seed for my projects through Natural Communities and will follow up
in the future if necessary. Highly recommend for native/natural projects!