We understand that living in an area with wet soil can indeed pose challenges for plants to thrive. But still, it doesn’t have to discourage plant enthusiasts. Garden aficionados can opt for perennials that like wet soil and full sun, as these plants have evolved to tolerate and even benefit from such environments.
Below are our favorite sun-loving perennials that wouldn’t be bothered by wet soil. Check them out!
Table of Contents
Limited Space Friendly and Sun Loving Perennials For Wet Soil
American Yellow Rocket (Barbarea orthoceras)
Plant Size: 1 to 2 feet high and 1 to 1.5 feet wide
The most notable part of the American yellow rocket is its blooms. It comes in shades of yellow, making an eye-catching color contrast with its glossy dark green leaves. On average, this plant is adaptable to various temperatures, including warmer and cooler climates.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
American yellow rocket is part of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae) that can be eaten. The young foliage and flower buds are edible and can be used in salad or cooked as greeneries.
Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Plant Size: 1 to 2 feet high and wide
These perennials that like wet soil and full sun do not produce flowers, but it doesn’t make common horsetails any less attractive. The main charm of common horsetails is their foliage, which consists of jointed stems that are hollow and segmented. They thrive in both full sun and shady areas.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
Common horsetail is used by some gardeners as a natural pest repellent. Thanks to their rough texture, it’s thought that the plant could protect plants nearby from slugs and snails.
Water Canna (Canna glauca)
Plant Size:
Also known as water canna lily, these water-loving perennials are known for their eye-catching blooms and lush foliage. Water canna usually produces bright yellow or yellow-orange flowers with six petals and large, lance-shaped green or bluish-green foliage. This plant is not frost tolerant.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
Water canna is an aquatic or semi-aquatic plant that can help release oxygen into the water during photosynthesis, thus helping gardeners to improve the wet environment.
Japanese Water Iris (Iris ensata)
Plant Size: 2 to 4 feet high and 2 to 3 feet wide
Japanese water irises are best for gardeners who live in areas with slightly acidic soil. These flowering perennials that like wet soil and full sun also tolerate a wide range of humidity. However, they can be more susceptible to fungal diseases in overly humid zones.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
Japanese water iris has a dense root system that can help to stabilize soil and prevent erosion along the edges of water bodies.
Flowering Perennials that like Wet Clay Soil
Spider Lilies (Hymenocallis)
Plant Size: 1 to 3 feet high and 1 to 2 feet wide
The exotic look of spider lilies, with narrow petals that extended outwards, resembling a spider’s legs, surely could add more uniqueness to your wetland landscape. These flowering perennials for wet soil actually do well in various soil types, including loam and sand, as long as it’s well-drained and permeable.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
Spider lilies are low-maintenance plants. Once established and matured, these plants are also often tolerant to drought and require minimal watering.
Autumn Zephyrlily (Zephyranthes candida)
Plant Size: 0.5 to 1 foot high and 0.5 to 0.6 foot wide
As part of the Amaryllis Family, autumn zephyrlilies are blessed with six-petaled, trumpet-shaped blooms that come in pure white color. Along with being perennials that like wet soil and full sun, these flowering plants also only require minimal fertilizing and pruning.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
Autumn zephyrlilies tend to naturalize and spread gradually over time. These plants may also self-seed, which can save the gardener’s time to propagate.
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Plant Size: 1.5 to 3 feet high and 1 to 2 feet high
Calla lilies are the type of plants that require you to plant them in high organic matter soil. Ensuring these perennials that like wet soil and full sun get moderate temperature and humidity is also crucial to keep the flowers blooming.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
Calla lilies make excellent cut flowers and are often used in floral arrangements and bouquets. These flowers have a long vase life as well.
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Plant Size: 1 to 2 feet high and 1 to 1.5 feet wide
Marsh marigolds stun with buttercup-shaped and bright yellow blooms. The foliage is deep green and grows on long stalks, and it remains attractive even after the flowers fade. Generally resistant to serious pests and diseases, marsh marigolds are still susceptible to slug damage and powdery mildew, moreover in humid conditions.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
Marsh marigolds are one of the earliest spring bloomers. These plants offer gardeners a splash of color when other plants have yet to awaken from their winter dormancy.
Water-Loving Perennials That Like Full Sun and Attract Butterflies
River Lily (Hesperantha coccinea)
Plant Size: 1 to 3 feet high and 1 to 2 feet wide
River lilies produce clusters of elegant, six-petaled red, pink, or white blooms that resemble lilies. Unlike most perennials that like wet soil and full sun, these flowers prefer to be planted in loam or sandy soil over wet clay soil. Rain lilies also demand fertilization during their growing season.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
River lilies usually have a long blooming season. The flowers kept blooming from late summer through fall, providing a burst of color when many other plants are winding down.
Water Hyssop (Bacopa monnieri)
Plant Size: 0.5 to 1 foot high and 1 to 1.5 feet wide
Unlike the common hyssop plant, which is a shrub in the Lamiaceae family, water hyssop is a small perennial herb known for its white, light blue, or light purple blooms. This plant is typically grown in tropical or subtropical regions and can make a great plant companion for other perennials that like wet soil and full sun, such as water canna and spider lilies.
Plant’s Benefit for Gardeners
Water hyssop can be cultivated in water gardens, aquariums, or as ornamental plants in aquascapes. These plants can grow while submerged and immersed in water.
Can Perennials That Like Wet Soil and Full Sun Be a Winning Combination in A Drought-tolerant Garden?
Although there are water-loving perennials that can be grown in drought-tolerant gardens, it’s not recommended to grow water-loving plants in drought-tolerant gardens. However, plants such as American yellow rocket, river lilies, and water canna are adaptable to both damp and dry environments, as these plants naturally thrive in near water. However, it’s worth noting that these perennials, whether drought-tolerant or not, still need to be in constant moisture to thrive.
Final Takeaways
Sun-drenched areas where the moisture is constant can be a paradise for various plants to thrive. From the exotic spider lilies to the phenomenal Japanese water iris, these perennials that like wet soil and full sun would turn the areas into stunning and vibrant landscapes.
New author in the hood. Loves gardening and flowers are my spirit animals (yes I know they are not animals but I insist). I will be covering most of the flowers’ topics here and occasionally random though as well.
