If you are trying to decide on plants for your shoreline buffer, please consider native varieties. Buttonbush will do really well and will also attract butterflies. Mountain laurel and native azalea (sometimes called honeysuckle bush) produce beautiful blooms in the spring. If you have a shady spot, the large leaves of the cowcumber tree are unique, and the large white blooms are magnificent. The purple berries of the American beautyberry will add a splash of color in the fall and provide a food source for native wildlife.

Native plants such as buttonbush, steeplebush, and creek sedge will thrive in this area and help stabilize shore and reduce the wash of sediment into the lake. Reduced sediment will not only help with water clarity of the lake, but also help the gastropod population which is a food source for the endangered flattened musk turtles.