Plants For Wet Areas

In response to a radio listener’s question, here are a few plants that do quite well in rather wet-areas, where drainage tends to be rather poor. Remember, the roots of plants must have oxygen, so these plants cannot sit in water continually.

Trees

• Birch (Betula spp.)
• Dogwood ‘kousa’ (Cornus kousa)
• Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
• Cherry ‘birchbark’ (Prunus serrula)
• Corkscrew Willow (Salix matsudana ‘tortuosa’)
• Pussy Willow (Salix discolor.)

Shrubs

• Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)
• Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles spp.)
• Bog Kalmia (Kalmia polifolia)
• Common Privet (Liqustrum vulgare)
• Rose-Gold Pussy Willow (Salix gracilistyla)
• Spirea (Spirea spp.)

Perennials

• Astilbe (Astilbe arendsii varieties)
• Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris)
• Pampass Grass (Cortaderia selloana)
• Plantain Lily (Funkia) (Hosta spp.)
• Japanese Iris (Iris ensata)
• Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum)

Ground Covers

• Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia nana)
• Corsican Sandwort (Arenaria balearica)
• Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa)
• Algerian Ivy (Hedera canariensis)
• Blue Star Creeper (Pratia pedunculata)
• Myrtle/Periwinkle (Vinca minor)

Vines

• Canary Bird Vine (Annual) (Tropaeolum peregrinum)
• Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Annual) (Thunbergia alata)
• Sweet Peas (Annual) (Lathyrus gdoratus
• Moonflower (Annual) (Ipomoea alba)
• Trailing Nasturtiums (Annual) (Tropaeolum majus)
• Scarlet Runner Bean (Annual) (Phaseolus coccineus)

Annuals

• English Daisies (Bellis perennis)
• Forget-Me-Nots (Myosotis sylvatica)
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
• Larkspur (Consolida amibigua)
• Candytuft (Annual Variety) (Iberis umbellata)
• Baby Blue-Eyes (Nemophila menziesii)