Plants for Damp or Wet Areas
Prepared by Karen Russ, HGIC Horticulture Specialist, Clemson University. (New 11/04.)
HGIC 1718
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Plants marked with an * are more tolerant of very wet or periodically flooded conditions. When selecting plants using this list, remember that a number of factors determine the suitability of a plant for a particular location. In addition to adaptability to moisture, also consider light requirements, soil type, hardiness and heat tolerance, and other factors.
Trees (Botanical Name - Common Name)
Tall Deciduous Trees
(50 feet or more in height at maturity)
- *Acer rubrum - Red Maple
- *Carya illinoinensis - Pecan
- Catalpa species - Catalpa
- *Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Green Ash
- *Liquidambar styraciflua - Sweet Gum
- Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood
- *Platanus occidentalis - Sycamore
- *Quercus bicolor - Swamp White Oak
- *Quercus nigra - Water Oak
- Quercus palustris - Pin Oak
- *Quercus phellos - Willow Oak
- *Salix species - Willows
- *Taxodium ascendens - Pond Cypress
- *Taxodium distichum - Bald Cypress
Medium Deciduous Trees
(30 to 50 feet in height at maturity)
- Asimina triloba - Pawpaw
- *Betula nigra - River Birch
- *Carpinus caroliniana - Ironwood
- *Diospyros virginiana - Persimmon
- Gleditsia triacanthos - Honey Locust
- Magnolia macrophylla - Bigleaf Magnolia
- *Nyssa aquatica - Water Tupelo
- *Nyssa sylvatica - Black Gum
- *Quercus laurifolia - Laurel Oak
Small Deciduous Trees
(under 30 feet in height at maturity)
- Amelanchier arborea - Juneberry
- Chionanthus virginicus - Fringetree
- Cornus alternifolia - Pagoda Dogwood
- Halesia carolina - Carolina Silverbell
- Hamamelis virginiana - Witch Hazel
- Magnolia tripetala - Umbrella Magnolia
- Ostrya virginiana - Hop Hornbeam
- Styrax americanus - American Snowbell
Evergreen Trees
- *Chamaecyparis thyoides -White Cedar
- *Gordonia lasianthus - Loblolly Bay
- Ilex cassine - Dahoon
- Ilex opaca - American Holly
- Magnolia grandiflora - Southern Magnolia
- *Magnolia virginiana - Sweet Bay
- *Pinus elliotti - Slash Pine
- *Pinus taeda - Loblolly Pine
- Sabal palmetto - Cabbage Palm
Shrubs (Botanical Name - Common Name)
Evergreen Shrubs
- Agarista populifolia - Florida Leucothoe
- Cyrilla racemiflora - Leatherwood
- Fatsia japonica - Japanese Fatsia
- *Ilex glabra - Inkberry
- Ilex verticillata - Winterberry
- Ilex vomitoria - Yaupon Holly
- Illicium floridanum - Florida Anise
- Leucothoe axillaris - Coastal Leucothoe
- Myrica cerifera - Wax Myrtle
- Osmanthus americanus - Devilwood
- Sabal minor - Dwarf Palmetto
Deciduous Shrubs
- Aesculus parviflora - Bottlebrush Buckeye
- Aronia arbutifolia - Red Chokeberry
- Baccharis halimifolis - Groundsel Tree
- Callicarpa americana - American Beautyberry
- Calycanthus floridus - Sweetshrub
- *Cephalanthus occidentalis - Buttonbush
- Chimonanthus praecox - Wintersweet
- *Clethra alnifolia - Summersweet
- *Cornus sericea - Redtwig Dogwood
- Forsythia species - Forsythia
- Fothergilla species - Fothergilla
- *Ilex decidua - Possumhaw
- *Itea virginica - Virginia Sweetspire
- *Lindera species - Spicebush
- Rhododendron atlanticum - Coast Azalea
- Rhododendron viscosum - Swamp Azalea
- Rhodotypos scandens - Jetbead
- Rosa carolina - Carolina Rose
- Rosa palustris - Swamp Rose
- Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis - American Elderberry
- Spiraea x vanhouttei - Bridal Wreath Spiraea
- Thuja occidentalis - American Arborvitae
- Vaccinium arboreum - Farkleberry
- Viburnum opulus - Cranberry Viburnum
- Xanthorhiza simplicissima - Yellowroot
- Zenobia pulverulenta - Dusty Zenobia
Groundcovers & Vines (Botanical Name - Common Name)
- Ajuga species - Carpet Bugle
- Aspidistra elatior - Cast Iron Plant
- Bignonia capreolata - Cross Vine
- Campsis radicans - Trumpet Creeper
- Convallaria majalis - Lily of the Valley
- Decumaria barbara - Wild Climbing Hydrangea
- Gelsemium sempervirens - Carolina Jessamine
- Hydrangea anomola petiolaris - Climbing Hydrangea
- Liriope spicata - Liriope
- Lonicera sempervirens - Trumpet Honeysuckle
- Smilax smallii - Jackson Vine
- Wisteria frutescens - American Wisteria
Ferns (Botanical Name - Common Name)
- Athyrium filix-femina - Lady Fern
- Athyrium nipponicum - Painted Fern
- Cyrtomium falcatum - Holly Fern
- Dryopteris erythrosora - Autumn Fern
- Dryopteris filix-mas - Male Fern
- Matteuccia pennsylvanica - Ostrich Fern
- Onoclea sensibilis - Sensitive Fern
- Osmunda cinnamonea - Cinnamon Fern
- *Osmunda regalis - Royal Fern
- Thelypteris palustris - Marsh Fern
Ornamental Grasses (Botanical Name - Common Name)
- *Arundo donax - Giant Reed
- *Carex species - Sedges
- Chasmanthium latifolium - Northern Sea Oats
- Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem
- Sorghastrum nutans - Indian Grass
- Spartina pectinata - Cordgrass
Perennials & Bulbs (Botanical Name - Common Name)
- *Acorus calamus - Sweet Flag
- *Acorus gramineus - Dwarf Sweet Flag
- *Alocasia macrorrhiza - Giant Alocasia
- Arisaema triphyllum - Jack-in-the-Pulpit
- *Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed
- Aspidistra elatior - Cast Iron Plant
- Aster novae-angliae - New England Aster
- Astilbe x arendsii - Astilbe
- *Canna species - Canna
- Chelone species - Turtlehead
- Cimicifuga species - Bugbane
- *Colocasia esculenta - Elephants Ear
- Convallaria majalis - Lily Of The Valley
- *Crinum americanum - Swamp Lily
- Crinum species - Crinum
- Eupatorium purpureum - Joe-Pye Weed
- *Filipendula species - Meadow Sweet
- Galium odoratum - Sweet Woodruff
- Hedychium species - Ginger Lily
- *Helianthus angustifolius - Swamp Sunflower
- Hemerocallis hybrids and species - Daylily
- *Hibiscus coccineus - Scarlet Swamp Hibiscus
- Hibiscus species - Rose Mallow
- Houttuynia cordata - Houttuynia
- *Hymenocallis - Spider Lily
- *Iris ensata - Japanese Iris
- *Iris hybrids - Louisiana Iris
- *Iris laevigata - Rabbitear Iris
- *Iris pseudacorus - Yellow Flag
- Iris sibirica - Siberian Iris
- *Iris virginica - Southern Blue Flag
- *Leucojum aestivum - Summer Snowflake
- Ligularia species - Ligularia
- *Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower
- *Lobelia siphilitica - Blue Cardinal Flower
- *Lysimachia clethroides - Gooseneck Loosestrife
- *Lysimachia punctata - Yellow Loosestrife
- Malvaviscus arboreus - Turks Cap
- Mentha species - Mints
- Mertensia virginica - Virginia Bluebell
- Monarda species - Bee Balm
- Myosotis scorpioides - Forget-Me-Not
- Physostegia virginiana - Obedient Plant
- *Rhexia virginica - Meadow Beauty
- Smilacina racemosa - False Solomon’s Seal
- Tiarella cordifolia - Foam Flower
- Tradescantia virginiana - Spiderwort
- Tricyrtis formosana - Toad Lily
- Vernonia noveboracensis - Ironweed
- *Xanthosoma atrovirens - Taro
- *Zantedeschia aethopica - Calla Lily
- Zephyranthes atamasca - Atamasco Lily
- Zephyranthes candida - Rain Lily
Annuals (Botanical Name - Common Name)
- Asperula orientalis - Blue Woodruff
- Impatiens varieties - Impatiens
- *Mimulus alatus - Monkey Flower
- Solenostemon cultivars - Coleus
- Viola cultivars - Pansy
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