Wetland Plants for Central Texas

Central Texas native plants that work well in riparian and other wetland areas.


Thumb Species Characteristics

Amorpha fruticosa
Indigo Bush, False Indigo Bush, False Indigo, Desert False Indigo

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Andropogon glomeratus
Bushy Bluestem, Brushy Bluestem

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Light: Sun
Water: Wet, Moist

Arisaema dracontium
Green Dragon, Dragonroot, Greendragon

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Shade
Water: Moist

Carex blanda
Eastern Woodland Sedge, Creek Sedge, Common Wood Sedge

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Cephalanthus occidentalis
Common Buttonbush, Buttonbush, Button Willow, Honey Bells, Honeybells, Honey Balls, Honeyballs, Button-bush

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Chasmanthium latifolium
Inland Sea Oats, Indian Wood Oats, Wild Oats, River Oats, Flathead Oats, Upland Oats, Upland Sea Oats

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Conoclinium coelestinum
Blue Mistflower, Wild Ageratum, Blue Boneset

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Cyperus retroflexus
Oneflower Flatsedge

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Light:
Water:

Equisetum hyemale var. affine
Scouring-rush Horsetail

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Wet

Equisetum laevigatum
Smooth Horsetail, Horsetail

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water:

Erythrina herbacea
Coralbean, Cherokee Bean, Red Cardinal

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Dry

Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Green Ash, Red Ash, Swamp Ash, River Ash, Water Ash, Darlington Ash

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Hibiscus moscheutos
Crimson-eyed Rose-mallow, Marshmallow Hibiscus

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Iris brevicaulis
Zigzag Iris

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Iris virginica
Virginia Iris, Great Blue Flag, Southern Blue Flag

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water: Wet

Kosteletzkya virginica
Virginia Saltmarsh Mallow, Virginia Fen-rose, Saltmarsh Mallow, Seashore Mallow

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Subshrub
Light: Sun
Water: Moist

Lobelia cardinalis
Cardinal Flower

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Ludwigia peploides
Floating Primrose-willow, Water-primrose, Creeping Water-primrose

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water:

Maclura pomifera
Osage Orange, Bois d' Arc, Bodark, Horse Apple, Hedge Apple, Bowwood, Yellowwood, Naranjo Chino, Monkey Brains

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun
Water: Dry

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Turk's Cap, Drummond's Turk's Cap, Drummond Turk's Cap, Wax Mallow, Drummond's Wax Mallow, Drummond Wax Mallow, Red Mallow, Texas Mallow, Mexican Apple, Sleeping Hibiscus, Bleeding Hearts, Manzanita

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Marsilea macropoda
Bigfoot Water-clover, Water-clover, Clover-fern, Largefoot Pepperwort

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb, Fern
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet

Morus rubra
Red Mulberry, Moral

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Muhlenbergia schreberi
Nimblewill

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Nymphaea odorata
American White Water-lily, Fragrant White Water-lily, Fragrant Water-lily, White Water-lily, Sweet-scented White Water-lily, Sweet-scented Water-lily, Beaver Root

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet

Phyla nodiflora
Texas Frogfruit, Turkey Tangle Fogfruit, Frogfruit

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Physostegia intermedia
Spring Obedient Plant, Marsh Obedient Plant, Slender False Dragonhead, Intermediate False Dragonhead

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Platanus occidentalis
American Sycamore, Eastern Sycamore, American Plane Tree, Plane Tree, Buttonwood, Buttonball Tree

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Populus deltoides ssp. deltoides
Eastern Cottonwood, Southern Cottonwood, Carolina Poplar, Eastern Poplar, Necklace Poplar, Alamo

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Prunus mexicana
Mexican Plum, Bigtree Plum, Inch Plum

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Ptelea trifoliata
Wafer Ash, Common Hoptree, Hop Tree

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Pteridium aquilinum
Western Bracken Fern, Bracken Fern, Western Bracken, Bracken

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb, Fern
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Quercus macrocarpa
Bur Oak, Burr Oak, Savanna Oak, Overcup Oak, Prairie Oak, Mossy-cup Oak, Mossy-overcup Oak, Blue Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Rhus aromatica
Fragrant Sumac, Aromatic Sumac, Lemon Sumac, Polecat Bush

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Sabal minor
Dwarf Palmetto, Bush Palmetto, Palmetto

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Sagittaria lancifolia
Lanceleaf Arrowhead, Duck-potato, Bulltongue Arrowhead, Bull-tongue Arrowhead

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water: Wet

Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis
Common Elderberry, Black Elder, Mexican Elderberry, Common Elder, Elderberry, Tapiro, Sauco

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water: Wet

Schoenoplectus californicus
California Bulrush, California Club-rush, Giant Bulrush

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water:

Taxodium distichum
Bald Cypress, Baldcypress, Common Bald Cypress, Southern Bald Cypress, Deciduous Cypress, Southern Cypress, Swamp Cypress, Red Cypress, White Cypress, Yellow Cypress, Gulf Cypress, Tidewater Red Cypress

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Tilia americana var. caroliniana
Carolina Basswood, Florida Basswood, Small-leaved Basswood, Downy Basswood, Carolina Linden, Florida Linden, Small-leaved Linden, Downy Linden

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light:
Water:

Ulmus crassifolia
Cedar Elm, Fall Elm, Basket Elm, Scrub Elm, Lime Elm, Texas Elm, Southern Rock Elm, Olmo

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist