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Q&A
Consideration of drought-resistant plantings in rain gardens
1:07:46
·
94 sec
Council Member Gennaro inquires about the use of drought-resistant plantings in rain gardens, referencing a bill he passed years ago for median plantings. Deputy Commissioner Licata explains that while drought tolerance is considered, the focus for rain gardens is on plants that can handle excess moisture.
- Rain garden plants need to survive in moist environments rather than be drought-tolerant
- The primary concern is selecting plants that can accept and thrive with a lot of water
James F. Gennaro
1:07:46
Right.
1:07:47
Yes.
1:07:48
This is a much different kind of absorption than the grass strip that's just like down the street Exactly.
1:07:56
Because there's a lot of, you know, subterranean engineering that makes that happen.
1:08:03
Many years ago I passed a bill about like some of the plantings on center meetings.
1:08:08
This is like before the days of rain gardens.
1:08:12
Like, drought resistant plantings or whatever.
1:08:16
I don't know if that's a thing.
1:08:18
I'm I I just happen to forgot about that bill, like, twenty years ago.
1:08:27
Is that part of the mix in terms of like where the rain gardens are?
1:08:31
Because I mean, I know they're meant to absorb water, but sometimes the, you know, we don't want the the vegetation dying.
1:08:44
And so sometimes, like, the drought resistant planting could potentially, in this case, although that bill was written for just median plantings that had nothing to do with rain gardens, I don't know if drought resistant plantings are part of the menu for what gets planted there.
1:09:03
Is that is that a thing?
Angela Licata
1:09:04
I I think that's right.
1:09:05
I think you're happy.
1:09:06
I mean, within the rain garden itself, we want it to not be so much drought tolerant, but to also be a plant that can accept a lot of water and be able to survive in a in a more moist environment.