Plants for Poor Drainage Areas

Summersweet

• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is native to the United States and grows in swamps, bogs, wet forests and on stream banks in its native habitat, making it well-suited for poorly drained landscape sites. Summersweet also is referred to as coastal sweetpepperbush and grows to a mature height of 4 to 8 feet. The shrub blooms with clusters of small, five-petaled, white flowers during spring. The alternate foliage is 2 to 3 inches long with serrated edge and turns golden yellow in the fall. Summersweet is hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 to 9 and thrives in areas of sun or shade. Propagate the shrub with stem cuttings taken during summer or from seeds.

Rosemallow

• Rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) is a tall, multi-stemmed perennial with a mature height of up to 7 feet. Rosemallow is an ideal plant for wet landscapes; it is found in ditches, marshes and swamps across eastern United States. The herbaceous plant's foliage is 6 to 8 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide with fuzzy undersides. The large, 6-inch-diameter flowers in shades of pink, white and crimson bloom during summer. Rosemallow is hardy in Zones 5 to 10 and prefers to grow in areas of full sun. Propagate with seed or by dividing the roots.

Yaupon Holly

• Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) is among the plants well-adapted to growing in wet soil. The evergreen plant is grown as a large, dense shrub or small tree with a mature height of 20 to 25 feet and leathery, dark green foliage. Yaupon holly blooms with very small white flowers in spring followed by red berries that stay on the tree all through fall and winter. The plant is a native of the swamps as well as dry regions of southeastern United States and is used in coastal gardens Plant in areas of full sun to shade. Yaupon holly is hardy in Zones 8 to 10 and has a good level of tolerance for drought.