How2Day: Northern Plants That Need Lots of Water

Homeowners in northern states with damp settings on their property have the good fortune of having options of which plants to utilize to fill these spaces. Several native northern plants that do well in wet scenarios exist, giving the landscaper choices when it comes what to plant in these settings where other plants fail. These plants require lots of water to remain vibrant and healthy.

Bog rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla) belongs to the heath family and is a plant that will handle wet ground, growing in the wild in acidic soil that is wet. Bog rosemary is evergreen, with long, narrow foliage. Growing to 30 inches, the shrub is a good fit in wet naturalized areas and as an edging plant near streams and ponds. Bog rosemary flowers in May, producing pink-white blossoms shaped like little urns. Hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 3, bog rosemary is a poor fit south of zone 6. It does not thrive in hot, humid conditions.

In the wild, you can find American elder (Sambucus canadensis) growing alongside the road in damp ditches, or in moist woods and near rivers and streams. Its ability to develop in wet conditions will allow you to place it in low-lying parts of your acreage without worrying about it receiving too much water. American elder is native as far north as southern Canada in the eastern half of North America. It is deciduous, growing as high as 12 feet. The shrub will bloom in spring; the berries the flower clusters yield is edible, especially for assorted birds. Plant American elder in naturalized areas and put it in places such as the edges of swamps and bogs on your land.

If you think that far northern parts of the continent are too cold for a large tree requiring lots of water to thrive, consider the tamarack (Larix laricina). This species of conifer grows from zone 1 southward to New England and the Great Lakes, to heights of 80 feet. The tamarack is a conifer, but one that loses its blue-green needles in autumn, only after they change to golden yellow. The fall color is one of the assets of this species, which works well when planted in numbers in a grove. Tamaracks absolutely require full sun and although the tree does best in areas with good drainage, it will grow in soggy soil, according to the University of Connecticut Plant Database.

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