# What to plant in a very wet area of my yard? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 11, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635 "2004-05-11T16:00:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/1 "2004-05-11T16:00:43Z")
I have a muddy/lichen-y corner area of my backyard that everything grades down towards. That, coupled with the shade from the ninety billion foot tall oaks and elms in the area, results in that roughly 15’x10’ area being very wet. After a good rain, it will be under a inch or so of water for several days, and pretty muddy the rest of season. Short of regrading that chunk of the yard, what could I plant there that doesn’t mind the shade and the extreme moisture? I toyed with the idea of a ornamental pool, but I suspect that would get funky pretty fast, from all the leaves and whatnot from the trees and nearby thingees\*. Any plant/tree/shrub fit my bill? I have some shrub-like treeish plants growing along my fence. It is now flowering, with almost conical clusters of tiny white or purple flowers. Any idea what those are? ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/2 "2004-05-11T16:10:24Z")
No idea what the shrubs are, but I’d recommend planting a willow in that wet corner of your yard. They grow relatively quickly, look really graceful, and most importantly, they suck up moisture like you wouldn’t believe. A willow will dry up that boggy patch of ground and turn it into usable space again. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/3 "2004-05-11T16:19:02Z")
How about a [weeping willow?](http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/5526) I believe they like a lot of moisture and are often found along streams and lakes. Are your white and blue plants possibly [wisteria?](http://springhillnursery.com/product.asp?pn=02451&SID=402507) StG ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/4 "2004-05-11T16:32:54Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > After a good rain, it will be under a inch or so of water for several days, and pretty muddy the rest of season. Mosquitos. Don’t worry, they’ll plant themselves in that swampy spot. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/5 "2004-05-11T16:51:09Z")
Ferns. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/6 "2004-05-11T16:58:41Z")
Willow sounds very good. I like the way they look, and if they like wet conditions, a willow will love that corner. Thanks for the advice! **StGermain** , it looks very close to that, but it is more ‘hedge’ like, and the flower thingees grow ‘up’. But that does look pretty close to it. I may have to break down and ask my neighbor, but that entails listening to about an hour of his golf stories. I hate golf. Such is the price of my ignorance, I suppose. **gotpasswords** , last year I sprayed some sort of non-toxic toxin (?) on there, and I had no problems with mosquitos, even during the evening barbeques. (I hope that’ll work again this year, unless I am breeding non-toxic-toxin-resistant mosquitos.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/7 "2004-05-11T17:10:32Z")
Water Iris Sweet flag ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/8 "2004-05-11T17:14:14Z")
Do the bushes smell nice? They could be lilacs: [http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/svulgaris.htm](http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/svulgaris.htm) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/9 "2004-05-11T17:38:01Z")
A [Bald Cypress](http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/Hort/FlaFoliage/Bald_Cypress.htm) likes the water and will take full sun to partial shade. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/10 "2004-05-11T20:17:30Z")
Sounds like a good place for [**cattails**](http://seedrack.com/special.html) > [@](#): > > \*\* Qty $ 2.85 pkt 200+ seeds added 02-05-04 Cattails can be found in marshes and… > …wetlands on almost every continent. Indeed, cattails are a familiar sight along… > [seedrack.com/special.html](http://seedrack.com/special.html) \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/11 "2004-05-11T21:44:32Z")
Take your pick of ornamental sedges. I recommend [Carex Pendula](http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/care_pen.cfm) but there are many of these beautiful ornamental grass-like plants that are adapted to the circumstances you describe. Heck, there is a sedge adapted to nearly \*every \* circumstance imaginable. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/12 "2004-05-12T01:47:32Z")
A pool. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/13 "2004-05-12T03:03:32Z")
Rice 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-plant-in-a-very-wet-area-of-my-yard/244635/14 "2004-05-12T04:59:58Z")
Watch out for the willow. If it doesn’t get enough water it will go for your pipes. Then you will regret ever planting that darn tree. For something less likely to cause long term problems try Iris or Arum Lillies, they’re swamp plants and they flower. Also have a look around at what water garden (pond) plants you can get. Even if they’re not covered with water most of them will live in swampy, boggy ground.