Gardening Flowers Perennials 14 Pretty Perennial Plants that Like Wet Soil Soggy spots aren't a problem for these perennials that thrive in wet soil. By Andrea Beck Andrea Beck Andrea Beck served as garden editor at BHG and her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on May 23, 2023 Reviewed by Sylvia Duax Reviewed by Sylvia Duax Sylvia Duax has over 15 years of experience as a professional Horticulturist with expertise in: sustainable garden maintenance techniques; Southeastern U.S., especially in the mid-Atlantic regional gardening; native plants; wildlife gardening; small space, urban and container gardening and community engagement. Learn about BHG's Gardening Review Board Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Dean Schoeppner Too much water can cause some plants to turn to mush. Not these perennial plants that like wet soil! They thrive in soggy situations, such as an area surrounding a splashing fountain, the edges of a pond, or a low-lying spot that is always damp. A few of these plants even tolerate standing water. And because they're perennials, you can count on them to return year after year where they are hardy. 16 Long-Living Perennials That Will Last for Decades with Little Care 01 of 14 Cardinal Flower Denny Schrock An easy-care native perennial, cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) sends up spikes of bright red-, white-, or rose-color flowers from midsummer to fall. This gorgeous plant is highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, and it's also deer- and rabbit-resistant. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist to wet soil Size: Up to 4 feet tall Zones: 3-9 16 Native Year-Round Interest Plants for A Constantly Beautiful Garden 02 of 14 Corkscrew Rush Denny Schrock One of the most interesting members of the rush family, corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus 'Spiralis') develops dark green, twisted, and spiraled foliage making it a great choice for moist landscapes or container gardens since it's a plant that likes wet soil. The plants grow 10-12 inches tall and produce small white flowers in the summer. Corkscrew rush spreads slowly by underground rhizomes, so plant it in pots to keep it contained. In the north, the plants will die back to the ground in the winter but re-emerge in the spring. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and wet soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 5-11 03 of 14 Creeping Jenny Denny Schrock For a plant that grows just a few inches tall, creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) packs a big punch of color. This ground-hugging perennial plant that likes wet soil sports bright chartreuse foliage that will quickly carpet any damp area. The plant forms new roots at each leaf node as it crawls across the ground, so it doesn't take long to spread through the garden. Creeping Jenny also develops small yellow flowers in the early summer. The leaves are the brightest when the plants are grown in full sun. Test Garden Tip In some areas, creeping Jenny is considered invasive, so plant with caution. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and consistently moist to wet soil Size: Up to 2 inches tall Zones: 3-9 04 of 14 Elephant's Ear Peter Krumhardt Named for their pachyderm-size leaves, elephant's ears (Alocasia spp.) are easy-care tropical perennials that come in various colors and bicolors. In the north, grow elephant's ears in pots and move them indoors before the first frost. Keep them in a cool, bright location until spring returns. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and consistently moist soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 10-11 05 of 14 Hardy Hibiscus Dean Schoeppner You'll get big, bold color when you plant hardy hibiscus in your landscape. These heat-loving beauties thrive in rich, moist soil, developing dinner-plate-size blooms from midsummer until fall. Hardy hibiscus is available in a wide variety of colors and bicolors. In the north, the plants are slow to break dormancy in the spring, but once the weather heats up, they burst into new growth. Growing Conditions: Full sun and consistently moist soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 4-9 11 Blooming Plants with Breathtakingly Big Flowers 06 of 14 Horsetail Marty Baldwin If you're looking for a no-work native perennial plant that likes wet soil, consider horsetail (Equisetum hyemale). It's prized for its stiff, upright, bamboolike, dark green, segmented stems. Horsetail, also commonly called scouring rush, proliferates by underground runners in moist soil or shallow water. Test Garden Tip Horsetail can grow aggressively, so make sure to keep it contained. Growing Conditions: Full sun to full shade and wet soil or standing water Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 4-9 07 of 14 Japanese Iris Laurie Black Wet, acidic soil is the perfect environment for Japanese iris (Iris ensata). These tall, elegant perennials are available in single, double, and peony-flower forms in shades of blue, pink, white, lavender, or violet. In June and July, they produce spectacular 6-inch-wide blooms. Japanese iris prefer to live in shallow water but survive on higher ground if the soil stays moist. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and consistently moist soil Size: Up to 4 feet tall Zones: 4-9 08 of 14 Joe Pye Weed Dean Schoeppner All you have to do with Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is plant it and stand back. This robust perennial needs little coddling and develops masses of mauve flower heads in the late summer and fall. Joe Pye is a plant that likes wet soil and has no insect or disease problems. Joe Pye weed's nectar-rich blooms also are a butterfly favorite. This plant can grow 5-8 feet tall, so if space is a problem, look for the dwarf variety 'Little Joe' that only grows 3-4 feet tall. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist to wet soil Size: Up to 8 feet tall Zones: 3-10 09 of 14 Marsh Marigold Dean Schoeppner The cheerful buttercup-yellow marsh marigold flowers (Caltha palustris) burst into bloom in the early spring, making this little native a must-have for wet sites. Forming 12-inch-tall clumps, marsh marigold looks terrific planted at the water's edge. Although they can survive drought, the plants will go dormant and lose their leaves if the soil dries out. Marsh marigold is also deer-resistant. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and consistently moist soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 3-7 10 of 14 Obedient Plant Clint Farlinger An easy-care native, obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) is prized for its tall spikes of pink or white snapdragon-like blooms that appear from June until September. However, this fast-growing plant can get out of hand, so dig and divide it every two to three years to keep it in check. Variety 'Vivid', shown here, is a compact form that grows 1-2 feet tall with dark pink blooms. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and consistently moist to wet soil Size: Up to 4 feet tall Zones: 3-9 11 of 14 Papyrus Lynn Karlin You don't have to live on the Nile River to enjoy papyrus (Cyperus papyrus). This heat-loving tropical perennial has graceful stems topped by an umbrella of narrow leaves. Papyrus also develops small greenish-brown flowers from midsummer until fall. In the north, grow papyrus in pots and bring the plants indoors before the first frost. Set the pot near a sunny window, and since it's a plant that likes wet soil, let it stand in a water-filled saucer. Then, move the plants back outdoors when the weather warms. Growing Conditions: Full sun and very moist soil or shallow standing water Size: Up to 5 feet tall Zones: 9-10 12 of 14 Pickerel Weed Denny Schrock Ideal for shallow, standing water, pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata) develops pretty spikes of pale blue flowers from June through October. Pickerel weed is a native plant that grows 2-4 feet tall with large, arrowhead-shaped leaves. It forms thick clumps; if you don't want the plants to spread, grow them in containers and sink the pots at the water's edge. The flowers are also attractive to butterflies. Growing Conditions: Full sun and wet soil (ideally on the edge of a pond) in 3 to 5 inches of standing water Size: Up to 4 feet tall Zones: 3-10 13 of 14 Swamp Milkweed Marty Baldwin Growing 4-5 feet tall, swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) makes a bold statement in the landscape. This moisture-loving native plant produces nectar-rich flowers in mid to late summer that are highly attractive to butterflies. Flower colors include white, pink, or mauve. Monarch butterfly larvae also dine on the plant's foliage. Growing Conditions: Full sun and consistently moist to wet soil Size: Up to 5 feet tall Zones: 3-6 14 of 14 Swamp Sunflower Peter Krumhardt A tough-as-nails native perennial, swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) is covered with hundreds of bright yellow, daisylike flowers in the late summer and fall. Swamp sunflower is a bushy giant of a plant that likes wet soil and sunshine, growing 5-8 feet tall by 4 feet wide. There's a dwarf form that grows only 18 inches tall. Growing Conditions: Full sun and consistently moist soil Size: Up to 8 feet tall Zones: 6-9 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit