Landscape Plants for Wet Areas

A wet spot may be an asset in the landscape and can be developed into a place of considerable natural beauty. There are a number of plants with high ornamental value that have evolved to grow in soils that are constantly saturated. Many others prefer or tolerate wet soils. These plants help to slow runoff and filter the storm water that recharges our aquifers.

If you have a boggy spot in your landscape, this list of plants found growing in wetlands or adjacent to them will be useful. Most will also grow in soil that is better drained. Those marked with an “S" can tolerate light shade. Those marked with an "E" are evergreen.

Large Trees

Latin Names Common Names

Acer rubrum Red Maple Acer saccharinum Silver Maple Alnus spp .* Alder Betula nigra River Birch Betula papyrifera Paper Birch Celtis laevigata Sugar Hackberry Larix laricina Tamarack Liquidambar styraciflua Sweet Gum Nyssa sylvatica Sour Gum (Tupelo) Picea glauca E-White Spruce Platanus acerifolia London Plane tree Platanus occidentalis Sycamore Populus spp . Poplar (aspen) Quercus bicolor Swamp White Oak Quercus macrocarpa Bur Oak Quercus palustris Pin Oak Salix spp. Willow Taxodium distichum Bald Cypress Thuja occidentalis E,S-American Arborvitae

*The abbreviation spp. stands for species, meaning that any plant within the listed genus would be satisfactory. Small Trees or Shrubs

Latin Names Common Names

Aesculus parvifolia S-Bottlebrush Buckeye Amelanchier spp . S-Serviceberry Aronia arbutifolia Chokeberry Calycanthus floridus Sweetshrub Cephalanthus occidentalis Buttonbush Cercis canadensis S-Redbud Chionanthus virginicus Fringetree Clethra alnifolia S-Summersweet Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ S-Siberian Dogwood Cornus racemosa S-Gray Dogwood Cornus sericea S-Redosier Dogwood Crataegus crusgalli Cockspur Hawthorn Fothergilla spp. Fothergilla Gaylussacia brachycera E-Huckleberry Hamamelis spp. S-Witch Hazel Ilex glabra E-Inkberry Ilex laevigata S-Smooth Winterberry Ilex verticillata S-Winterberry Lindera benzoin S-Spicebush Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay Magnolia Myrica pennsylvanica Bayberry Rhododendron arborescens S-Sweet Azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum S-Flame Azalea Rhododendron vaseyi S-Pinkshell Azalea Rhododendron viscosum S-Swamp Azalea Rosa palustris Swamp Rose Salix spp. Willow Sambucus candensis S-American Elderberry Symphoricarpus spp. Coralberry, Snowberry Vaccinium spp. S-Blueberry Viburnum cassinoides S-Witherod Viburnum dentatum S-Arrowwood Viburnum lentago S-Nannyberry Viburnum prunifolium S-Black Haw Viburnum trilobum S-American Cranberrybush Perennials

Latin Names Common Names

Amsonia tabernaemontana S-Blue Star Aruncus dioicus S-Goatsbeard Astilbe spp. S-Astilbe Astrantia major S-Masterwort Bergenia cordifolia S-Bergenia Brunnera macrophylla S-Siberian Bugloss Carex spp. S-Sedge Chelone lyonii S-Turtlehead Cimicifuga racemosa S-Black Snake Root Epimedium spp. S-Barrenwort Eupatorium coelestinum Hardy Ageratum Eupatorium maculatum Joe Pye Weed Equisetum spp. S-Horsetail (invasive tendencies) Filipendula spp. S-Meadowsweet Fritillaria meleagris S-Snake’s Head Geum rivale S-Water Avens Hemerocallis spp . S-Daylily Hibiscus moscheutos Rose Mallow Hosta spp. and cultivars S-Plantain Lily Iris ensata Japanese Iris Iris sibirica S-Siberian Iris Lobelia cardinalis S-Cardinal Flower Lysichitum spp. S-Swamp Cabbage Matteuccia struthiopteris S-Ostrich Fern Mertensia virginica S-Virginia Bluebells Monarda didyma S-Bee Balm Myosotis scorpiodes S-Forget-me-not Osmunda spp. S-Royal Fern Physostegia virginiana S-False Dragonhead Primula spp . S-Primrose Rheum rhapoticum Rhubarb Rodgersia pinnata S-Rodgresia Symphytum x uplandicum S-Comfrey Trollius europaeus S-Globe Flower Vernonia novaboracense Iron Weed Veronicastrum virginicum Culver’s Root

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Hort38 10/06