Best Plants for Wet Soil - Midwest Gardening

Wet soggy soil and standing water usually produces plant rot and grows disease. But if you have such areas in your landscape and gardens you might be surprised to find that there are quite a few plants that will tolerate poorly drained soil and some that even thrive in standing water.

Many plants native to regions where wet areas are common have evolved to survive and thrive in these wet areas. Many of these plants wiil even absorb and remove water from the soil. Establishing tolerant plants in wet areas wiil reduce soil loss from water runoff. Native plants are not always easy to find. If you have a nursery that supports organics and sustainability they will likely supply native plants or help you source them from specialists.

Of course there are other things that will affect plant suitabilty such as light, and growing zone. It is best to consult a local trusted garden center about suitability for your specific region and conditions.

Begenia cordifolia.jpeg — Bergenia

**Also known as Piqsqueak, this pretty groundcover tolerates wet soil well. Zones 3-8**

Aesculus_parviflora_(Bottlebrush_Buckeye.jpeg — Bottlebrush Buckeye, Aesculus parviflora

**A large shrub with wonderful long flower panicles. Prefers a moist loam and does not tolerate dry soil well. Does tend to sucker and may be difficult to track down. Zones 4-8**

Astilbe

**Moist soil in shady areas is preferred by perennial astilbe. Performs very well in rain gardens. Zones 4-8**

Actaea_racemosa bugbane.JPG — Bugbane, Actaea racemosa

**Known by many names , including Black Snakeroot. Likes moist but well drained soils but will tolerate some flooding. Zones 3-8**

Bugleweed, Ajuga reptans

**Great dense spreading ground cover that prefers moist humus soil. Zones 3-10**

Blue_Flag_Iris_(Iris_versicolor).jpeg — Blue Flag Iris, Iris versicolor

**A showy wildflower of the wetlands, will thrive in wet areas and water features. Zones 3-9**

Campsis_radicans Trumpet creeper.jpg — Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans

**A showy vine that will grow in moist clay. Zones 4-10**

Gelsemium_sempervirens Carolina Jessamine.JPG — Carolina Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens

**With stunning yellow blooms this vine loves moist soil. Zones 7-9**

Chasmanthium_latifolium_Northern Sea Oats.jpg — Northern Sea Oats

**This bamboo looking low maintenance grass thrives in moist soil, perfect around a water feature. Zones 4-9**

Athyrium_nipponicum_Painted fern.jpg — Painted Fern, Athyrium nipponicum

**A beautiful fern that loves moist soil and will thrive in wet shady areas. Zones 4-8**

Cinnamon Fern

**An easy to grow fern that loves moist boggy, even wet, soil. Zones 3-9**

Royal Fern

A fine textured fern that loves medium to wet shady areas. In full sun will need plenty of moisture. Zones 3-9

Fortune's_Holly-fern_(Cyrtomium_fortunei).jpg — Holly Fern

**The Holly Ferns do like moist soil but not soggy. Zones 6-10**

Thelypteris_palustris_Marsh fern.jpg — Marsh Fern Thelypteris palustris

**This fern happens to like wet sunny places but will put up with a little shade. Zones 4-8**

Crinum_×_powellii.jpg — Swamp Lily, Crinum powelli

**Showy and fragrant, it prefers a moist humus soil but does not like to be waterlogged. Unfortunately not very hardy, zones 7-11, 6 in protected areas.**

Erythronium_americanum;_Yellow_Trout_Lily.jpeg — Yellow Trout Lily

**Also known as Yellow Adder’s Tongue, this wet woodland plant is perfect at water’s edge and moist shade gardens. Zones 3-8**

Galium_odoratum_Sweet Woodruff.jpg — Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum

**This beautiful groundcover loves moist to wet soils. Zones 4-8**

'Hemerocallis_fulva'_Daylily.JPG — Daylily

**Daylilies like moist and wet soil but prefer not to be in standing water all the time. Zones 4-9**

Leopard Plant Ligularia dentata

**Best known as ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’, this showy perennial is perfect for rain gardens and water features. Zones 4-8**

Liriope

**Also known as lily turf, bears abundant blue flower spires. It is tolerant of wet soil but is more likely to sucker. Zones 3-8**

Little Bluestem

**This pretty little perennial grass is very tolerant of clay and very moist soil. Zones 3-9**

Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis

**This striking plant prefers moisture to be consistent. Perfect around a pond, stream or water feature. Zones 3-9**

Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris

**This cheerful little spring blooming plant loves a boggy area. Perfect around a pond or water feature. Zones 3-7**

Monkey Flower.jpg — Monkey Flower

This pretty bloomer loves a wet meadow or river bank. Zones 4-9

Pussy Willow.jpeg — Pussy Willow

**This wetland shrub likes moist to wet soil. Ideal in swampy areas or along a water feature. Zones 4-8**

Tatarian Dogwood Cornus Alba.jpeg — Tatarian Dogwood, Cornus Alba

**Commonly known as Red-twig Dogwood, this large shrub is perfect for a rain garden or any consistently moist soil. Just as good is the Yellow-twig Dogwood. Zones 3-7**

Tradescantia_virginiana_(Virginia_Spiderwort).jpeg — Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort

**Tolerates clay and wet soil, and will put up with occasional flooding. Zones 5-9**

Verbena_hastata_(blue_vervain).jpg — Verbena hastata

**Known as blue vervain, this wetland meadow perennial loves full sun and medium to wet soils. Zones 3-8**

Arrowwood Viburnum, Viburnum dentatum

A showy spring flowering shrub that does well in moist, but well drained soil. Zones 2-8

Black Chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa

**Related to and similar to the Arrowwood Viburnum, this shrub tolerates wetter, boggy soil. Zones 3-8**

Zimterle_(Clethra_alnifolia).jpeg — Clethra alnifolia

Also known as Summersweet or Sweet Pepperbush, loves wet woodland and marshes. Great performer along streams and water features. Zones 3-9

Create beautiful plantings in wet areas with a selection of these plants best suited to your specific conditions. Don’t worry too much about perfect colors and blooming. Wet areas and water features will be perfectly lovely with natural plants that simply thrive.