Regional Picks: Plants for Wet Soil – Northern Plains

Lots of gardeners deal with at least one area of their property that never seems to dry out . As plantsman Joseph Henderson explains in his articlePlants for Soggy Spots , lots of plants flounder in these kinds of conditions : “ Without a steady supply of air , waterlogged base start to pant and eventually rot , killing the foliage above . ”

Thankfully , a muddy speckle does n’t command a complete garden service ; it just take the right plants that boom in consistently wet condition . Below , you ’ll find plant for lactating areas in theNorthern Plains . To discover even more plants for wet soil , check out Joseph ’s clause : plant life for Soggy Spots .

1. ‘Husker Red’ Penstemon

Name:Penstemon digitalis‘Husker Red’

USDA Hardiness Zones:3 to 8

Size:3 feet tall and 1 to 2 foot broad

Conditions : Full sun ; tolerates moist and dry soils

You ’d never approximate a genus Penstemon could take wet soil , but I ’ve find ‘ Husker Red ’ seeding itself in wet sphere of the sunny Nebraska prairie . Burgundy foliage emerges in early natural spring , followed by a cloud of pink white blooms in late May and early June . The burgundy seed point can be left on the plants for bring cosmetic show , bird food , and self - seeding . The foliation is semievergreen here in Lincoln , Nebraska , tot up a bonus display of burgundy winter color .

2. Swamp Rose Mallow

Name:Hibiscus moscheutosand cvs.

Zones:4 to 9

size of it : Up to 6 feet grandiloquent and 2 to 3 feet wide

condition : Full Lord’s Day ; prefers prolific , moist soil but will accommodate to a variety of conditions

The colored foliage and expectant bloom of swamp rose mallow supply a spectacular previous - summer show . It works respectable in combining with other tall perennials and ornamental grasses . The plant ( ‘ Lord Baltimore ’ , picture ) is tedious to come out in spring , postulate a nurseryman ’s solitaire . It ’s practiced to give the dead stalks in place over wintertime to cue you of their emplacement in the garden once spring make it .

3. Swamp Milkweed

Name:Asclepias incarnata

Zones:3 to 9

Size:4 to 5 animal foot tall and 2 to 3 feet wide

experimental condition : Full sun to fond nuance ; prefers moist filth but will stick out hot , bake conditions

Swamp milkweed , a native of the Great Plains , is a right choice for elusive urban condition . This plant is best used as a backdrop because of its gangling nature , but the midsummer , soft pink flowers are sure to appeal people and butterfly alike . Aphids are also pull to swamp milkweed , but controlling them with insecticides will also harm butterfly stroke .

4. ‘Blue and Gold’ Spiderwort

Name:Tradescantiaandersoniana‘Blue and Gold’

Zones:5 to 9

Size:2 feet marvellous and wide

Conditions : Full sun to partial spectre ; fertile , moist soil

Wet or dry and in sunlight or shade , ‘ Blue and Gold ’ dayflower has coloured , counterpoint leafage that brightens any spot in the landscape . empurpled blooms appear in early summer and will continue to flower further into the time of year if deadheaded . The often floppy nature of spiderwort can be corrected by severely cutting it back after the first daily round of bloom slicing ; the returning leaf will look tidier .

Luann Finke is co - owner and operator of Finke Gardens & Nursery in Lincoln , Nebraska .

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plants for wet soil in northern plains

Photo: Jennifer Benner

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