These stunning perennials thrive in moist soil.
Not all flowers love water—but these perennials love it! Ideal for wet areas of your garden like pond edges, fountain foundations, or perpetually moist low landings, these flowers live for wet soil—some tolerate standing water. And since they’re perennial, they’ll come back year after year in their zones.
1. Cardinal Flower
Native and low-care, the dramatic red, white, or rose spikes of Lobelia cardinalis flower from midsummer to fall. Hummingbirds and butterflies adore it, and deer and rabbits leave it alone, too.
Light: Sun to part shade · Soil: Moist to wet · Height: Up to 4 ft · Zones: 3–9
2. Corkscrew Rush
A thriller rush, Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’ forms dark green, curly spiraled leaves, perfect in wet gardens or containers. Produces white flowers in summer and spreads slowly by rhizomes—keep in pots best.
Light: Sun to part shade · Soil: Wet · Height: Up to 12 in · Zones: 5–11
3. Creeping Jenny
This low-growing perennial (Lysimachia nummularia) has chartreuse leaves and pale yellow flowers in early summer. Quick-spreads over wet soil, rooting at every node—most radiant in sun. Can be invasive—plant with care.
Light: Sun to part shade · Soil: Moist to wet · Height: 2 in · Zones: 3–9
4. Elephant’s Ear
So called for its colossal leaves, Alocasia spp. requires moist soil. Plant in pots in cold climates and bring inside before frost, putting in a bright cool spot until spring comes.
Light: Sun to part shade · Soil: Moist · Height: Up to 6 ft · Zones: 10–11
5. Hardy Hibiscus
Sun lovers, resilient hibiscus flowers produce dramatic, dinner-plate-sized flowers midsummer through fall. In moist, fertile soil in USDA zones 4–9, they yield stunning seasonal color.
Light: Full sun · Soil: Moist · Height: Up to 6 ft · Zones: 4–9
6. Horsetail
Easy-to-grow native (Equisetum hyemale) with bamboo-like stem division. Spreads through underground stems in moist soil or shallow water. Extremely durable; plant where bound.
Light: Sun to shade · Soil: Wet or standing water · Height: Up to 3 ft · Zones: 4–9
7. Japanese Iris
Tall and stately, Iris ensata thrives in wet, acidic soil near water. Its dramatic, six-inch blooms in blue, pink, white, or violet appear in early summer.
Light: Sun to part shade · Soil: Moist · Height: Up to 4 ft · Zones: 4–9
8. Joe Pye Weed
Upright and low-maintenance, Eupatorium perfoliatum blooms late in the summer into the fall with mauve clusters of flowers. Does best in wet soil and is a butterfly magnet. There is a dwarf variety « Little Joe » with narrower habit.
Light: Sun to part shade · Soil: Moist to wet · Height: Up to 8 ft (3–4 ft dwarfs) · Zones: 3–10
9. Marsh Marigold
Buttercup-yellow blooms greet early spring, with clumps of foliage reaching about a foot tall. Deer-resistant and ideal for the edges of ponds. Can enter dormancy when dry.
Light: Sun to part shade · Soil: Moist · Height: Up to 12 in · Zones: 3–7
10. Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana has tall spikes of pink or white snapdragon-like flowers June to September. Busy spreading best if kept under control by dividing every few years.
Light: Sun to part shade · Soil: Wet to moist · Height: Up to 4 ft · Zones: 3–9
11. Papyrus
Garden ornamentally handsome Cyperus papyrus has elegant stems topped with umbella-shaped leaves. Succeeds in pots standing in water; move indoors in winter in cold climates.
Light: Full sun · Soil: Extremely wet or standing water · Height: To 5 ft · Zones: 9–10
12. Pickerel Weed
Wild aquatic-beauty border (Pontederia cordata) with lavender-blue spikes of flowers. Likes 3–5 in of shallow water. Containerize if spreading is problematic.
Light: Full sun · Soil: Wet/standing water · Height: Up to 4 ft · Zones: 3–10
13. Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata offers nectar-rich pink, white, or mauve flowers—so crucial for monarch butterflies. Tall and flashy, it flourishes in ultra-wet soil.
Light: Full sun · Soil: Moist to wet · Height: Up to 5 ft · Zones: 3–6
14. Swamp Sunflower
A hardy native (Helianthus angustifolius) blooming with an abundance of yellow daisies late in fall and early summer. Tallens to 8 ft—dwarf cultivars exist.
Light: Full sun · Soil: Wet · Height: To 8 ft (dwarf ~18 in) · Zones: 6–9
