10 Best Plants for Erosion Control: A Sustainable Way to Protect Soil

When soil washes off bare ground, the land loses its most fertile layer, and the streams receive sediment that degrades water quality and harms aquatic life. However, the right erosion control plants can naturally cut soil loss by up to 89%. 

These include strong grasses, shrubs, and ground covers that pair deep roots with dense cover. Below, we compare 10+ of the most effective options, from switchgrass and black chokeberry to creeping phlox. Each fits different environments and conditions. You can identify them with specialized tools like the Botan app to get a science-based planting and care plan.

Why Nature-Based Solutions Work Best for Soil Erosion

Rain moves soil in two steps. First, falling drops knock particles loose. Then, water running downhill carries them away. Well-chosen plants for erosion control interrupt both processes. 

Leaves and stems take the impact before rain hits bare ground and slow the runoff that follows. Roots bind the topsoil underneath. That grip is stronger than most people expect. In particular, roots can cut the rate at which flowing water strips soil by more than 83%.

The area doesn’t need to be covered with a solid carpet of green to make the effect real. Soil loss drops sharply once plants cover 55-60% of the surface.

Notably, unlike a retaining wall or a layer of mulch, living cover keeps spreading, fills its own gaps, and grows back after a storm.

Comparative Analysis of the Top 10 Erosion Control Plants

Comparing and choosing a plant starts with two conditions: how many hours of sun the planting area gets, and whether its soil stays wet or dries out fast. Once both are known, the options narrow quickly.

The table below matches 10 of the best plants for erosion control to those conditions, from wet streambanks to dry, sandy ground.

The full list of plants for soil erosion is broader, so even if these aren’t good for the area, there’s always an alternative. Plus, more suitable shrubs, grasses, and ground covers will be mentioned below.

Deep-Rooted Shrubs and Ornamental Grasses for Heavy-Duty Erosion Control

Six of the ten plants to prevent erosion in the table are shrubs or grasses. They are effective, but they protect soil differently and have different efficiency percentages. Shrubs slow the water and can cut runoff by 59–65%, compared with 39–43% for grass cover. Grasses hold the soil, and both groups cut sediment losses by more than 70%.

Shrubs protect soil from above and below. Their branches break the force of the rain, while deep roots hold the layers beneath. Many also spread by suckers, new stems that grow from the roots, so a single plant gradually becomes a dense thicket. 

Beyond the species in the table, shrubs to prevent erosion include: 

• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) — suits soaked ground, tolerates standing water up to 3 feet. It won't grow in dry soil. 

• Northern bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) — suits sandy, salty ground, where it forms clumps that stabilize dunes. 

• Common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) — an adaptable pick with fibrous roots that takes sun or part shade.

Grasses send fibrous roots deep, which makes them well suited to holding ground far below the surface, and they need little care afterward. However, they are slow to start. 

For instance, switchgrass spends its first years building roots, so its above-ground growth is slow. Little bluestem grows in separate clumps on drier ground, leaving bare soil between them. Still, a ground cover planted alongside fills those gaps. 

Other grasses that control erosion well are:

• Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) — has roots that reach 5 to 8 feet, but grows 4 to 6 feet tall, so it needs room.

• Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) — a smaller grass, 15 to 30 inches tall, with roots up to 4 feet deep, suits rocky or shallow soil.

• Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus) — suits part shade and moist, well-drained soil.

Shrubs cut more runoff, and grasses root deep, so a mix of both kinds of erosion plants provides both benefits.

Fast-Growing Ground Covers and Perennials for Surface Protection

An erosion-control ground cover catches raindrops on its leaves and stems before they hit loose soil, stopping the splash that knocks particles loose. Staying close to the ground is crucial: the best low-growing cover crops cut soil loss by more than 90%, beating taller, open shrubs. 

Beyond the species in the table, low-growing plants for erosion control include:

• Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) — thrives in deep shade and wet soil, spreading by thick stems that creep just under the surface.

• Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) — suits dry, sandy ground, where it makes its own nitrogen and forms thickets. It is rare in the wild in some states.

• Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) — grows in acidic, sandy soil and is hardy enough for coastal dunes.

The trade-off is time. Protection from raindrop splash builds as cover grows and reaches a useful level at about 40%, so gaps between young plants stay exposed. Creeping phlox fills in fast, while bearberry grows slowly.

Practical Tips for Planting and Establishing Vegetation on Slopes

New plantings are most likely to wash out in their first years because roots take 2 to 4 years to anchor in the soil. Until then, the bare ground between plants needs protection. To prevent such issues, it’s necessary to follow these recommendations:

1. Clear weeds and loosen the soil surface so roots can take hold. If the hillside is steeper than 45 degrees, have it regraded first.

2. Plant in staggered rows, because water runs down straight ones and carries soil with it.

3. Cover the gaps with straw or wood mulch. At least 60% coverage cuts soil loss by about 80%.

4. Pin biodegradable jute or coir netting over the mulch to hold it in place during storms. Netting cuts soil loss by more than 90% and rots away as plants spread.

Ground cover erosion control only starts working once plants have knit together, so leave the mulch and netting in place until they have.

Conclusion

Plants that help prevent erosion do more than keep soil on the land. They also help protect aquatic life. Coral reefs show what's at stake: sediment washed in from land affects 41% of them worldwide, clouding the water and smothering the corals beneath. Plants tackle this at the source.

Shrubs slow the water, grasses hold the soil, and ground covers shield the surface, so far less soil ever leaves the hillside. That keeps fertile topsoil in place on the land. Less sediment in streams means clearer water all the way to the coast, which is better for the fish, shellfish, and underwater plants that depend on it.