Zeballos Elementary Secondary School

Science Assignment

The Alcove Pond

1. Pacific Nine Bark Plant

Pacific ninebark is a deciduous shrub in the Rose Family that grows from 2-4 metres with
arching branches. Some say there are nine layers of bark, leading to its name. ... It is a fast
growing shrub that prefers full sun to part shade. It grows in the wet, somewhat open places
(streamside thickets, edges of moist woods, coastal marshes, meadows or the margin of lakes and
streams. The Nuu-chah-nuluth made children bows and other small items from the wood
they also made knitting needles from it.

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 2. Hard Hack

A many-stemmed, fast-growing, 4-10 ft. shrub. Oblong leaves are shiny green on top and white-
woolly beneath. Tiny, rose-colored, five-petaled flowers occur in dense, 4-6 in. long panicles at
the tips of the stems. The panicles appear fuzzy because of the flowers’ prominent, protruding
stamens.

Hardhack is a member of the family Rosaceae, which includes about 2000 species of trees,
shrubs, and herbs worldwide, including serviceberries (Amelanchier), hawthorns (Crataegus),
apples (Malus), plums and cherries (Prunus), and mountain-ashes (Sorbus).

Grows low to middle elevation, near streambanks, swamps, lake margins and damp meadows.

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 3. Hard stem Bulrush

Hardstem bulrush often forms monocultures in marshes throughout its range. Hardstem bulrush
grows best on sites with saturated soil or standing water for most of the year. It occurs in
marshes, swamps, seeps, washes, floodplains, along lake and stream margins, and in wet
meadows. It grows in fresh or brackish water. Hardstem bulrush can grow in areas where the
water table is up to 5 feet (1.5 m) above or 0.33 feet (0.1 m) below the soil surface. It is fairly
drought tolerant; it can persist through several years of dry conditions. Grows well in marshes,
muddy shores, shallow water (fresh and brakish) at low elevations. Occurs sporadically north of
Vancouver Island.

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 4. Water smart weed

Species distinguishing characteristics: 

 Grows in muddy soils or shallow water

 Bright pink flowers in dense clusters on a thick, jointed stalk
 8 stamens protrude out of flower
 Alternate, oval, leathery green leaves
 Prostrate or floating stems when aquatic and erect stems when terrestrial
 Paper-like sheaths encircle the stem at leaf bases

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5. Cattail

The cattail is one of the most important and most common wild foods that also boast a
variety of uses at different times of the year. Cattails (aka bulrushes) can be used to make
mats, baskets, and the cigar-shaped head can even be used as packing material. Dipping
the head in oil or fat, they can be used as torches. Aboriginals used the roots to make
flour (high in protein and carbohydrates) and the fluffy wool of the head was used as
diapers because of its softness and absorbency. The fluffy wool is similar to down and
can be used as insulation in clothing, pillows, mattresses, quilts, and life jackets. These
“cigar-heads” are also excellent fire started.

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 6. Sweet Gale

Sweet Gale is also known as Bog Myrtle, or Sweet Bayberry.  Its sweet, resinous scent is
welcome addition to the garden.
Growth: Sweet Gale grows to about 4.5 feet (1.5m).
Habitat: It grows in wetlands, bogs, marshes, lake margins, and can tolerate brackish water in
the upper reaches of salt marshes and estuaries. 

7. Rush Plants

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Rush, any of several flowering plants distinguished by cylindrical stalks or hollow, stemlike
leaves. They are found in temperate regions and particularly in moist or shady locations. The
rush family (Juncaceae) includes Juncus, the common rushes, and Luzula, the woodrushes.
Common rushes are used in many parts of the world for weaving into chair bottoms, mats, and
basketwork, and the pith serves as wicks in open oil lamps and for tallow candles (rushlights). J.
effusus, called soft rush, is used to make the tatami mats of Japan. The bulrush, also called reed
mace and cattail, is Typha angustifolia, belonging to the family Typhaceae; its stems and leaves
are used in North India for ropes, mats, and baskets. The horsetail genus (Equisetum) is called
scouring rush, or Dutch rush, because the plants’ silica-laden stalks are used for scouring metal
and other hard surfaces. Flowering rush is Butomus umbellatus (family Butomaceae). The sweet
rush, or sweet flag, is Acorus calamus(family Acoraceae).