Plants for Waterlogged soil

More Plants: Plants home | Architectural plants | Clematis | Foolproof plants | Hedges and hedging plants | Fast growing hedges | Fast growing trees | Herbs | Plants for difficult situations | Landscapers palette  | Spring bulbs and winter shrubs | I like conifers | I like climbers | Plants Q & A | Plants for waterlogged soil | Roses | Perennials

More about Fruit Trees: Apple and Crab-apples | Apricot | Cherry | Peaches and Nectarines | Pear | Plums and prunes | Pests and problems | Hints and tips

    Carex - sedges P

Many Carex species are bog plants and so may not take too kindly to the wet / dry nature of waterlogged soils. One that I do know that works is Carex buchananii - red fox sedge. Brown /  orange leaves growing up like a fire-work coming out of the ground to about 18" and then tapering away to an indefinite curly tip. Tolerates the wettest of soils. They work very well contrasted against green leaves, gravel or boulders. Maybe worth trying other varieties

    Honeysuckles. 

Honeysuckles are amongst the most romantic of flowers, their shape is one or organised abandon and the scent is simply heavenly. That said however, they are not the easiest of plants to place. They are generally vigorous and grow in three dimensions better than two, so up and over a pergola, or better still a tree rather than up a trellis where they tend to grow quickly to the top before flopping voluminously downwards. If you can accommodate one, then definitely get one (at least). Don't put them in pots - they tie themselves to supports and you'll have a devil of a job to free them for re-potting. Also some evergreen varieties, recommended, Lonicera halliana and Lonicera henryi which are both evergreen.

    Populus - Poplars T

Only for the largest of gardens, these need to be about 40m (130ft) from any buildings to prevent  damage, and they're all large trees anyway. If you've the space P. alba, white poplar 70-130ft high and to 50ft wide, is attractive with white undersides to the leaves. Looks wonderful when the breeze rustles the leaves and animates the whole tree.

    Pyracantha - Firethorn S

Good old Pyracantha, one of the most useful shrubs in the garden and can be quite stunning in the autumn when heavily laden with berries.  Withstands a fair amount of wetness, but less than most on this page.

    Salix - Willows T

Most species enjoy wet conditions, but CAUTION, many of them grow into large trees and are one of the worst culprits for causing housing subsidence through their root spread. Don't plant the large types unless you have a very large garden, and then plant well away (40m, 130ft) from buildings.

All have decorative catkins in the spring and many have leaves lighter in color underneath that "shimmer" when blown about by the wind.

A Smaller safer version is S. caprea "pendula", Kilmarnock willow, Height and spread about 5-6ft, S. about 2ft high and wide, often grafted onto a stem 4ft high. Note that these are both grafted onto rootstocks which may produce suckers that should be removed otherwise the whole plant will revert to the rootstock variety and outgrow the graft.

    Tamarix ramosissima - Tamarisk S

Not a likely candidate for wet soils at first glance as it is often grown on well drained sea-side soils. I discovered its wet-tolerance when I planted it by mistake once (i.e. I wouldn't have if I'd known) in a dried out waterlogged soil in the summer. By the next spring whereas some other plants around had died, the Tamarix was doing well. Withstands a fairly high degree of wetness, but don't bother if the planting hole fills with water as you're digging it.

Graceful shrub to small tree, wispy frothy pink flowers produced in summer. Height and spread to 15ft.