Florida Low Impact Development, A Native Plant Bioswale Success!

The Lasalle Street storm water bioswale is growing into its third spring, a little over two years old.  I know because my aorta dissected during the middle of the project's schedule. Ugh.  A first year plant and project review can be read here while photos and several posts of the original planting project can be found here.

Native plant Bioswale, Lasalle St., Jacksonville, Third Spring's Growth

Today the array of native plants installed by a marvelous group of volunteers has grown into their own prime, lovely Florida grasses, native shrubs and the wonderful cypress tree, Taxodium spp.

The Native Plant Bioswale was originally planted in late 2011

Bioswales are rapidly becoming one of the more popular approaches to cleaning urban storm water runoff and most are using native plant species.  The University of Florida IFAS Extension Service has produced a helpful, informative publication on the design and benefits of urban bioswales for Florida cities.

The Bioswale has matured into a prime example of a successful low-impact development project

We think of plants on green roofs providing many benefits, including;

• Sequestration of Carbon and mitigation of CO2 greenhouse gasses
• Positive production of fresh oxygen daily
• Cleaning rainfall runoff by filtering out particulate matter and attenuating flow rates
• Uptake and sequestration of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous
• Habita creation for small to large wildlife and birds
• Beauty for us humans
• Urban Heat Island Effect mitigation - cooling of the cities
• Keeping our creeks, lakes and rivers clean
• and so much more

Bioswales provide the same benefits as green roofs.  Bioswales are like a green roof but are located directly on the ground instead of a rooftop.

Bioswales, like Florida Green Roofs provide an array of ecological and environmental benefits

Plants are so amazing, especially Florida native plant species.  They work 24/7 to help keep our world clean and that is just the start of what they really do for us!

Lasalle Street Native Plant Bioswale's Third Year Growth