A lush and colorful garden needs the right balance of water. For those who live in a consistently moist area, it can be quite challenging to find the perfect flowers that like wet soil. But don’t despair, there are various types of flowers that not only tolerate but prefer to thrive in moist soil. From the delicate Siberian Iris to the outstanding sweet alyssum, these flowers will bring charm and life to your garden while also helping to promote biodiversity.
Table of Contents
Perennial Flowers That Like Wet Soil and Full Sun
Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus)
Zones: 8 to 11
Height: 4 to 5 feet (120 to 152 centimeters)
Value for Gardeners: Attract hummingbirds, good cut, deer-resistant
Lily of the Nile is a breathtaking sun-loving beauty to captivate any garden. A native to coastal areas of Southern Africa, they thrive best in moist and well-draining soil. Lily of the Nile is a flower of love, as the Latin name for this plant is derived from the Greek words for love, ‘agape’, and the word ‘anthos’, meaning flowers.
Clematis (Clematis)
Zones: 3 to 9
Height: Varies on cultivars, from 2 to 20 feet (60 to 600 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Fragrant and showy flowers
Clematises, also known as the old man’s beard, are flowers that like wet soil with interesting blooms from blue, pink, and white, to purple. In their native habitat, clematis grows well in moist woodland areas and along the bordering streams.
Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica)
Zones: 3 to 8
Height: 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Showy blooms, attract pollinators, good cut flowers
The classic Siberian iris has been the ultimate favorite for most gardeners, noted not only by their striking blue to lavender color but also for their ease of maintenance. Another plus value to add, the beautiful Siberian iris also thrives in a broad range of growing conditions, from poor soil to drought.
Perennial Flowers That Like Moist Soil and Shade
Cattleya Orchids (Cattleya labiata)
Zones: 9 to 11
Height: 0.5 to 2 feet (15 to 60 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Showy blooms, attract pollinators, good for hanging baskets
Although less known than their counterparts, cattleya orchids surely will provide you with no less beauty. These native to Brazil flowers that like wet soil bloom at the start of spring, but many will start showing their spectacular flowers during fall as well.
Giant Snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii)
Zones: 4 to 7
Height: About 1 foot (30 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Showy blooms, deer-resistant
The giant snowdrop has a reputation for being a pure white flower that symbolizes new birth and new beginnings. They tolerate medium but not high moisture and have adapted to grow well as indoor houseplants.
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
Zones: 3 to 7
Height: 0.5 to 1 foot (15 to 30 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Showy blooms, attract hummingbirds and butterflies, deer-tolerant
Marsh marigolds are famous for their bright yellow blossoms that make a well-contrast with their dark green foliage. What’s more, they’re flowers that like wet soil with certain health benefits! From treating colds to menstrual pain, there’s no reason why you can’t love these spring beauties.
Annual Flowers That Like Wet Soil and Full Sun
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
Zones: 3 to 9
Height: 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Fragrant and showy blooms, attract pollinators
With their colorful pink, red, magenta, white, and purple blossoms, it’s impossible to resist the beauty of sweet william. Being originally native to the coast and mountains, they tolerate high humidity and love moist soil, but rather not too soaked.
Watsonia Flower (Watsonia)
Zones: 8 to 11
Height: 4 to 5 feet (120 to 150 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Showy blooms, attract pollinators and butterflies, good cut flower
Looking for tall flowers that like moist soil with attractive bloom colors? Consider growing watsonia flowers. Although they love moisture, watsonia flowers will benefit from occasionally dry soil and are somewhat drought tolerant. They produce tubular, 6-petaled flowers that bloom during summer.
Autumn Zephyr-lily (Zephyranthes candida)
Zones: 7 to 10
Height: 0.5 to 1 foot (15 to 30 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Showy blooms, drought-resistant, deer-resistant, tolerates poor soil
Don’t get confused, autumn zephyr-lily is not part of the stunning Iris Family, but is part of the classic Amaryllis Family. They thrive beautifully in wet areas like river banks as well as patios and small growing spaces (e.g. containers). In the wild, as the name states, autumn zephyr lilies show off their spectacular blooms after a period of rain.
Annual Flowers For Wet Soil and Shade
Chinese Aster (Callistephus chinensis)
Zones: 2 to 11
Height: 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Showy blooms, good cut flowers, drought-tolerant, attract pollinator
Aster has long been adored by many gardeners, and the Chinese aster is no exception. Chinese asters are flowers that like wet soil and are notable as ornamental flowering plants, bouquet flowers, and festive flowers. They thrive well in moist soil, with pH levels varying between 5.5 to 7.5 (acidic and neutral).
New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri)
Zones: 10 to 11
Height: 1 to 1.25 feet (30 to 38 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Showy blooms, attract butterflies, somewhat resistant to powdery mildew
To create a more tropical look, you might want to try the New Guinea impatiens. This plant produces a bunch of tiny, 4 or 5-petaled blooms with eye-catching orange, pink, white, red, lavender, or burgundy tones. They love moisture but need a high organic matter soil that drains well.
Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
Zones: 5 to 9
Height: 0.25 to 0.75 (7 to 22 centimeters)
Value to Gardeners: Attract pollinators and small birds, fragrant and showy blooms
Noted for their mostly white and lavender blooms, sweet alyssum is a great flowering plant to grow for those who love fast-growing plants. They produce such a good fragrance that somewhat resembles honey.
How Often Should You Water Flowers That Like Wet Soil?
As a general rule of thumb, if the soil is damp enough then it’s not the time yet to shower your moist-loving flowers. Under the wrong growing conditions, diseases like root rot, along with bacterial and fungi-related diseases, may occur. Water at least about once to twice a week, especially during the growing season.
In Summary: What Flowers Like Wet Soil?
To sum up, gardening areas that are constantly wet don’t have to be dull and frightening spaces, as you can add some appeal with these fascinating flowers that like wet soil. Nonetheless, keep in mind that even though these flowering plants thrive in wet and moist areas, giving out too much water, theoretically and practically, is still something you should avoid.
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.
