The Challenge of Finding Plants for Sunny Wet Sites
The difficulty, of course, is not the sun. Most plants thrive in full sun or a little bit of shade. What’s challenging is finding plants that tolerate or even relish wet, soggy soil. Many plants will rot and decay if you put them in a location with soil that stays moist or even pools water. The kinds of plants that will grow in these wet conditions are those that do so naturally. These are plants that grow in marshes and wetlands, along streams, and in bogs or along the edges of ponds. There are more than you probably realize, from trees and shrubs to perennials, and even annuals.
The Best Plants for Full Sun and Wet Soil
If you need to anchor a soggy site, choose bigger wet soil, full sun plants, like these trees and shrubs:
American cranberry bush viburnumAmerican elderberryAmerican HollyArrowood viburnumBirchBlack willowButtonbushChokecherryDogwoodEastern cottonwoodGreen ashHighbush blueberryMountain laurelNinebarkPin oakRed and silver mapleSwamp azaleaSwamp roseSweetgumSwamp white oakWeeping willowWinterberry
Perennial plants for wet soil and full sun are great for soggy beds and rain gardens:
Bee balmBig bluestemCanada anemoneCardinal flowerFox sedgeGray’s sedgeJoe Pye weedNew England and New York asterPrairie cordgrassQueen of the prairie Rose mallowSouthern blue flag irisSwamp milkweedSwitch grassWhite Turtlehead
Also consider putting in some sun-loving annuals that tolerate or thrive in wet soils:
Flowering tobaccoForget-me-notNasturtiumShrubby perillaSpider flowerSweet peaWishbone flower
Embrace your soggy soils and use some of these plants that not only tolerate but thrive in wetter conditions.
