Palustrine Wetland

Most frequently referred to as a prairie pothole, a palustrine wetland is a wet area containing vegetation, generally a mixture of grasses and sedges. Although it is consistently wet, the water levels are not deep.  Iowa was orginally dotted with many of these formations but is now extensively tiled to drain the excess water from these low spots to allow the land tobe cultivated.

The Arboretum has chosen to leave one of these areas intact to educate visitors on this feature of the native Iowa landscape and provide habitat for wildlife.