State/region is RI. (I have no idea how to edit post flairs on mobile, sorry!)
It's my first year really trying to plant natives and garden in a part of our yard that floods with any 1"+ rain. Everything has been planted directly in clay heavy/compacted soil.
Most plants in these pics are natives from local nurseries that had very informative tags, but is there any I should move? I do have places with well draining soil.
Some of the plants here that are new to me & I'm concerned about:
– Blue skullcap
– Labrador tea rhododendron
– Cardinal flower
– White snakeroot
– Golden alexander
– Meadowsweet
– Monkey flower
– Buttonbush
– Sweet pepperbush (WIP cage. Guess it's leas "deer resistant" than everything else.)
– Pussy willow (this is the shrub standing in the small lake that formed!)
I do have the full scientific names if needed, the common names were just easier to remember off the top of my head!
Thank you :,)
by TuxedoEnthusiast
16 Comments
I’m a layman – but gotta wonder if you embrace what nature is doing and build some of kind a pond and or water garden to help the water the water penetrate deeper. Could be really sick to give your local fauna a water source!
I don’t know too much, but I do know the contrary is true for buttonbush- they thrive in that kind of wet, swampy setting.
Cardinal flower will probably do fine in that.
Cardinal flower can apparently grow fully underwater! And button bush is content being submerged so long as it occasionally gets a chance to dry out a bit, or so I’ve heard
You need water lilies
a few willows and cypress trees would love that shit
All of these are obligate wetland plants, meaning that in a natural setting, they are only found in wetlands, and are adapted for periods of saturated soil:
* Blue Skullcap
* Labrador tea rhododendron
* Cardinal flower
* Monkey flower
* Buttonbush
Meadowsweet has FACW wetland indicator status, meaning it usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. It should be fine where it is too.
White snakeroot and golden alexander are upland plants. They are not going to be so happy with their roots sitting in water.
Make the most of that damp spot by planting things that love those conditions. What state and zone do you live in? I’m sure this crew can make some suggestions…wait, I just saw that info in your header lol. Justicia americana, button bush, winterberry, pussy willow, high- or low-bush blueberry, wood anemona, rose milkweed, trout lily, boneset, Joe Pye weed, rose mallow, cardinal flower, blue flag iris, bee balm, culver’s root, Virginia spiderwort, blue bead lily, Dutchman’s breeches, American liverleaf, squirrel corn…the list goes on
Throwing in for Iris versicolor/virginica and blue-eyed grass too
I think that many of those plants will thrive in your soggy garden and look great! I am a huge fan of mpatiens capensis also (touch me not) – I still in my 60s cannot resist touching the seed pods and watching the seeds fly everywhere. Lots of other things you can plant over time if desired: here are selections for RI in wet conditions from Prairie Moon: [https://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds#/?resultsPerPage=24&page=6&filter.soil_moisture=Wet&filter.ss_northeast=RI](https://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds#/?resultsPerPage=24&page=6&filter.soil_moisture=Wet&filter.ss_northeast=RI)
I would definitely plant sedges in the areas that remain wet that you are less able to mow. I would not try to change the floodplain itself, that is a natural feature that has value, especially if the usual kinds of plant you find in a marshy area are there to attract birds and other wildlife. How long does the water persist?
Near me in Michigan, cardinal flower only likes the wet swampy areas so I think they’ll be okay.
I would look into native plants sales near you. Many offer rain garden kits. It’s a budget friendly low effort way to plant this area up. The perk of native swamp plants like rose mallow, swamp milk weed, elder, button, blue flag iris, red twig dogwood is they will help soak up the water, stabilize the area and invite wildlife. Personally I would lean in to what it naturally wants to be while also helping the water disperse at a better rate. Adding high points via sticks, trees or shrubs will also help attract dragon flys and they will help control your mosquito population.
swamp white oak
https://preview.redd.it/vluekpbq319h1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fdcb58b1d673c5efeaa576d47dd156355360a69
Well hey there fellow wetland friend! I wanted to share my experience with this. I purchased my new home last year and I’ve lived in this area my entire life so I knew about the flooding in this area and was prepared for it but then we were hit with unprecedented rain fall this year I did not expect this! I’ve had beaver floating through and muskrats. It didn’t touch my house so I was tickled honestly. Anyways! I’ve put in cup plant, elderberry, monkey flower, swamp rose mallow, boneset, switch grass, verbena, both lobelia, joe pye, rattlesnake master, queen of the prairie, mountain mint, and some others. I strategically planted 25 red twig dogwoods and a couple swamp oaks all to help with mitigation but to also embrace and honor my wetland. All have survived except blue lobelia, bergamot, and smooth aster. I had hoped to “garden” with natives but in this kind of flooding it was just best to not fight it and embrace it. Good luck and feel free to DM me with any questions you may have!
Anecdotally, my Joe pye loooves being in my shitty clay soil that floods every time it rains (my neighbors driveway runs off into our yard, it’s lovely). I planted it last June, it had about 3 stalks, and this year it more than doubled and it’s almost taller than me. Very excited to see how it continues to grow!
Atlantic white cedar