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
- Thuja occidentalis – American Arborvitae
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
- 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
Para obtener la versión en español de esta hoja informativa, consulte HGIC 1718S, Plantas para Represas o Áreas Húmedas.
Originally published 11/04
