Native Wetland Plants

The tallest American member of the Andropogon genus, big blue stem, forms sturdy upright clumps of narrow blades standing 6' tall. Andropogon gerardii prefers slightly moist soils but is surprisingly drought tolerant once established. The lus...

Carex intumescens, Bladder sedge, is similar in appearance to Carex grayi, found growing in shady bottomland hardwood forests. Its bold textured foliage stands 1-2' tall.

Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Blue-Eyed Grass,  grows in moist, well-drained soil in damp open woods, slopes, and along stream banks in full sun to part shade. Despite its grass-like foliage, the Blue-Eyed Grass belongs to the i...

Iris versicolor, Blue flag iris, is a hardy lakeshore herbacious perennial typically found in the shallow waters of pond edges, sedge meadows, marshes, along stream banks and in forested moist soil wetlands. Blue flag iris forms...

Iris prismatica, Blue iris, is similar to Iris versicolor except for the narrower leaves.   This hardy lakeshore perennial herb is typically found in shallow waters of pond edges,  sedge meadows, marshes, alon...

Verbena hastata, Blue Vervain, can be found in a variety if habitats including moist prairies & meadows, floodplain woodlands, moist thickets, along borders of rivers and ponds, marshes, moist basins and ditches. Verbena h...

Menyanthes trifoliata, Bogbean, grows in spongy bogs, marshes and shallow water along pond edges. The fleshy green leaves of Menyanthes trifoliata pop out of the water giving way to a perfect little white flowers with tiny elegant hairs ...

Eupatorium perfoliatum, Boneset, is one of the most widespread of our native wetland wildflowers. It prefers wet to damp areas of the wetland margin. While tolerant of flooding, it is not usually found growing in water but is very co...

Elymus hystrix, Bottle brush grass, grows in a wide range of soil conditions including heavy clay with dry to medium hydrology.  Bottle brush grass can take a variety of light conditions from full sun to part shade. I...

Carex comosa, Bristly sedge, is a member of the sedge family has a bristly bloom that acts like Velcro.  Bristly sedge stands from 1-2 ½’ tall with wide light green foliage. It prefers full sun bu...

Typha latifolia, Broad Leaf Cattails, are one of the most important native wetland plants, providing wildlife habitat, improving water quality and providing food for wildlife. In fact, Euell Gibbons called Cattails the "Supermarket...

Common in the Northeast, Andropogon virginicus, broomsedge, is a native clumping warm season grass that grows best in relatively infertile soil conditions which makes it a great choice for the dry compacted banks of stormwater basin...

Rudbeckia triloba, Brown Eyed Susan, grows in moist to dry soils in full sun to part shade.  Cheerful Brown Eyed Susan is a perennial favorite.  Typically 1-2' tall with bright yellow daisy-like flowers surr...

The only moisture loving Andropogon glomeratus, bushy beard, is usually found growing in low lying marshes and swamps of the eastern coastal plain of the United States. Andropogon glomeratus is a narrow blue/green leaf in the summer followed ...

Cephalanthus occidentalis, Buttonbush,  is one of the most important native shrubs for helping to preserve water quality and for enhancing wildlife habitat. The extensive fibrous root system of buttonbush pulls nutrie...