Frogs and other amphibians, birds and butterflies (e.g. the very rare Marsh Fritillary) are native to the swamp meadows, which are mostly found in the low-lying areas of rivers. But be careful with any kind of nature observation, because these very wet meadows can suddenly turn into a moor and therefore become dangerous on a hike.
What is a swamp meadow?
The swamp meadow, also known as wet meadow, is one of the wet meadows. It is a particularly wet meadow, which is mainly overgrown with tall grasses and sedges (sedges). Swamp meadows can be flooded, especially in the winter months and in spring, but often dry out in summer. The flora and fauna typical of these meadows must be sufficiently tolerant of the extremes mentioned in order to be able to survive in this habitat.
Typical swamp meadow plants
The typical flowers found in marshy meadows usually unfold their splendor in the months between May and July. Depending on the regional location, plants such as
- Marsh iris (Iris pseudacorus)
- Cuckoo campion (Lychnis flos-cuculi)
- Broad-leaved orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis)
- Checkered Flower (Fritillaria meleagris)
- Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata)
- Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
- Marsh orchid (Orchis palustris)
- or butterbur (Petasites hybridus)
to meet As in all wet meadows, the Lepidoptera, Labiatae and grasses are particularly well represented.
Creating and maintaining swamp meadows
Naturally, marshy meadows must be created in a location that is as wet as possible, but it is difficult to create it artificially. A location in the lowlands of a river or stream is therefore optimal, and the soil should also be loamy or clayey - such heavy soil prevents the water from simply seeping in and drying out the soil. For the same reason, creating a wet meadow in a depression makes sense because the water can collect better here. These marshy meadows should be mowed once a year - usually in autumn - so that the vegetation does not become overgrown and eventually turn into a floodplain forest.
tips and tricks
On a small scale, you can also recreate a swamp meadow in your home garden. For this you first need a water source - also artificially created - that provides sufficient moisture and a loamy or clayey soil. A natural or artificial stream or a garden pond is suitable for this purpose.
IJA