Jill MacKenzie
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PERENNIALS for MOIST SOILS
Jill MacKenzie |
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Most perennials demand well-drained soil. They perform poorly and die out when planted in soil that stays wet and soggy. But there are some perennial flowers that tolerate and even thrive in moist soils. The plants on this list are all hardy for parts of Minnesota, and all do well in moist, poorly-drained soil. They will not tolerate standing water, however, except as noted. |
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| Botanical name Comments |
Common names | Hardiness zone | Flower color | Light requirements | Plant height | Season of bloom | Standing water OK? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acorus species Cultivars with variegated foliage are available. |
sweet flag | 3 | yellow | full sun | 3-6 feet | July-August | yes |
| Aruncus dioicus | goat's beard | 3 | white | sun-part shade | 4-6 feet | July-August | no |
| Asclepias incarnata | swamp milkweed | 3 | rose-purple | full sun | 3-4 feet | August | no |
| Brunnera macrophylla | Siberian bugloss | 3 | blue | sun-part shade | 1-2 feet | May | no |
| Caltha palustris | marsh marigold | 3 | golden yellow | sun-part shade | 1-2 feet | May | yes |
| Chelone glabra | turtle head | 3 | white | part shade | 2-5 feet | August-September | no |
| Chelone lyonii | 4 | pink | |||||
| Chelone obliqua | 3 | purple | |||||
| Eupatorium maculatum | spotted Joe-pye weed | 3 | distinctive brownish or rosy-purple | sun-part shade | 4-6 feet | August-September | no |
| Epatorium purpureum | green-stemmed Joe-pye weed | ||||||
| Filipendula palmata | Siberian meadowsweet | 2 | pink | sun-part shade | 4-6 feet | June-August | no |
| Filipendula rubra | queen of the prairie | 3 | pink | ||||
| Filipendula ulmaria | queen of the meadow | 3 | white | ||||
| Iris pseudacorus The cultivar 'Variegata' has variegated foliage. |
yellow flag iris | 4 | pale to deep yellow | full sun | 2-3 feet | June | yes |
| Iris sibirica Many named cultivars are available. |
Siberian iris | 4 | purple, blue, white, bi-colors | full sun | 2-3 feet | June | no |
| Iris versicolor | blue flag iris | 3 | purple | full sun | 2-3 feet | June | yes |
| Ligularia species |
golden ray | 4 | golden yellow | part shade | 1 foot | July-September | no |
| Lobelia cardinalis | red cardinal flower | 2 | red, pink, bi-colors | full sun | 2-3 feet | July-September | no |
| Lobelia siphilitica Dwarf varieties are available. |
blue cardinal flower, blue lobelia | 4 | blue, white | full sun | 2-3 feet | August-September | no |
| Lysimachia ciliata | *fringed loosestrife | 3 | yellow | full sun | 2-4 feet | July-August | no |
| Lysimachia clethroides | *gooseneck loosestrife | 3 | white | ||||
| Lysimachia punctata *These three are not related to the invasive purple loosestrife. See below. |
*garden loosestrife | 4 | yellow | ||||
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Macleaya cordata species |
plume poppy | 4 | white | full sun | 1 foot | July-August | no |
| Myosotis scorpioides | true forget-me-not | 3 | blue | sun-part shade | 1-2 feet | May-June | no |
| Trollius species |
globeflower | 3 | yellow | full sun | 1-2 feet | May-June | no |
| Viola cucullata The cultivar 'Freckles' has blue-flecked white flowers. |
blue marsh flower | 4 | purple, white | sun-part shade | 6-10 inches | May | no |
Although purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria, is also well-adapted to wet areas in Minnesota and does produce an attractive spike of bright flowers, it is not recommended for planting because it is invasive, crowding out native vegetation important to wetland ecosystems. In fact, purple loosestrife is considered a noxious weed in Minnesota, so planting it is illegal.
H115P
10/98
