Which perennials grow well in wet soils?

Question:

Which perennials grow well in wet soils?

Answer:

When selecting perennials, it’s important to choose plants that are suitable for the planting site.  Perennials that grow well in moist to wet soils include, 

  • sweet flag (Acorus calamus)
  • black snakeroot (Actaea racemosa)+
  • Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)+
  • goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus)+
  • astilbe, false spirea (Astilbe × arendsii)
  • swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)+
  • heartleaf brunnera, Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla)
  • turtlehead (Chelone species)+
  • showy lady slipper orchid (Cypripedium reginae)+
  • shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia)+
  • Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum)+
  • queen-of-the-prairie (Filipendula rubra)+
  • dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris)
  • rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)*
  • Japanese iris (Iris ensata)
  • yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus)
  • Siberian iris (Iris sibirica)
  • bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis syn. Dicentra spectabilis)
  • leopard plant (Ligularia spp.)
  • cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)+
  • obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana)+
  • Jacob's ladder (Polemonium caeruleum)
  • meadow rue (Thalictrum spp.)**
  • spiderwort (Tradescantia spp)**
  • fern (various species)**

* Native to parts of North America
** Some species native to parts of North America
+ Native to North America, including parts of Iowa


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Last updated on
August 8, 2023