Wet Site Plants

Trees and Shrubs for Moist to Wet Sites

The following list contains trees and shrubs which will tolerate sites with moist soil. Those plants preceded with an * are listed in references as growing/tolerating wet or swampy sites. Plants which are evergreen are preceded with (E).
We have had great success at our wet property with: Iris ensata, Iris pseudacorus, Hosta (in fenced in ares), all willows (corkscrew, weeping, rosemary, etc), River Birches, Chinese Silver Grass (carefull, this is tough stuff) and simply grass (lawn).

SHRUBS
Botanical Name	Common Name	Height
Amelanchier spp. (E) Andromeda polifolia Aronia arbutifolia Calycanthus Iloridus * Cephalant hue occidentalis Chionanthus virginicus * Clethra alnifolia Cornus alba 'Sibirica' Cornus racemosa * Cornus amomum * Cornus sericea (C. stolonifera) (E) Iiexglabra hex verticillata * Itea virginica (E) Kalmia latifolia (E) Ledum groenlandicum Lindera benzoin Potentilla fruticosa Rhododendron arborescens Rhododendron cakndulaceum Rhododendron vaseyi Rhododendron viscosum Sambuscus canadensis * Salix purpurea * Salixpurpurea 'Streamco' * Salix spp. * Vaccinium corymboxum Vaccinium vitis-idaea Viburnum alnifolium Viburnum cassinoides Viburnum dentatum Viburnum lentago * Viburnum opulus Viburnum trilobum	Serviceberry Bog Rosemary Red Chokeberry Carolina Allspice Buttonbush Fringetree Summersweet Siberian Dogwood Gray Dogwood Silky Dogwood Red Osier Dogwood Inkberry Winterberry Virginia Sweetspire Mountain Laurel Labrador Tea Spicebush Bush Cinquefoil Sweet Azalea Flame Azalea Pinkshell Azalea Swamp Azalea American Elderberry Purpleosier Willow Streamco Willow Willows Highbush Blueberry Cowberry Hobblebush Witherod Arrowwood Nannyberry European Cranberry Bush American Cranberry Bush	varies w/species 1 - 2' 6-10' 6-9' 3-6'+ 12-20' 3-8' 8-10' 10-15' 6-10' 7-9' 6-8' varies 6-10'+ 3-5+ 7-15' varies 2-4' 6-12' 1-4' 8-20' 4-8' 5-10' 1-8' (avg. 5') 5-12' varies 8-10' varies w/species 6-12' 10" 9-12' 5-6' 6-8+ 15-18'+ 8-12'+ 8-12'+

TREES
Botanical Name	Common Name	Height
* Acer rubrum * Alnus spp. Amelanchier spp. * Betula nigra Betula papyrifera E) Ilex opaca * Larix decidua Liquidambar styraciflua * Magnolia virginiana * Nyssa sylvatica Picea glauca * Quercus bicolor Quercus palustris Salixspp. Taxodium distichum (E) Thuja occidentalis	Red Maple Alder Serviceberry River Birch Paper Birch American Holly Common Larch American Sweetgum Sweet Bay Magnolia Black Gum, Black Tupelo White Spruce Swamp White Oak Pin Oak Willow Bald Cypress American Arborvitae	40-60'+ varies w/species varies w/species 40-70'+ 50-70" 15-30'+ 70-75'+ 60-75'+ 10-20' 30-50' 40-60' 50-60' 60-70'+ varies w/species 50-70' 40-60'

References:

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr, Third Edition, 1983;

Recommended Trees and Shrubs for Long Island Sites by Richard Weir, Cornell Cooperative Extension - Nassau County, D-1-20, 7/3/91; Working With Wet Areas in the Landscape by Harold Davidson, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, 10/92. TK 3/93

The above has been reproduced with the permission of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. The information contained herein is believed to be from reliable sources, but has not been verified by any employees of FairHarbor.com

Revised: 01/14/04