Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Your gift keeps resources like this database thriving!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
1 rating

Friday - February 20, 2009

From: Clifton Park , NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Rain Gardens
Title: What plants can absorb the excess water in my back yard?
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I am looking for any plants and trees that can absorb the excess water in my back yard. There is a large area that is swampy and always wet. Could you please provide me some suggestions?

ANSWER:

You don't mention the source of the water, or how much there is. or whether it is there all of the time or only intermittently. This may be more of a problem for a hydrologist than for a botanist.

It is true that plants absorb moisture from the soil and release it through their leaves (transpiration), but absorbing excess water may be beyond the capability of most plants. Bear in mind that many plants can't survive in soil that is saturated with water.

To find trees that can grow in moist/wet environments, go to the Explore Plants menu on the "Ask Mr. Smarty Plants" page and click on "Recommended Species". Select the state of New York on the map, and you wiill get a list of 112 commercially available native plant species suitable for planned landscapes in New York. Select the Narrow Your Search option  and choose  Tree under "HABIT", Perrenial under "DURATION", and both Moist and Wet under "SOIL MOISTURE" and the list shrinks to 37. You can repeat the process , choosing Shrub under "HABIT", and you will get a list of 14 shrubs.

I've done this  to find five tree species that are adapted to grow in wet soils.

Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa (bur oak)

Black Gum Nyssa sylvatica (blackgum)

Canadian Serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis (Canadian serviceberry)

Gray Birch Betula populifolia (gray birch)

American Beech Fagus grandifolia (American beech)

Our National Suppliers Directory can help you find nurseries in your area that handle these plants.

 

From the Image Gallery


Bur oak
Quercus macrocarpa

Tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica

Canadian serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis

Gray birch
Betula populifolia

American beech
Fagus grandifolia

More Rain Gardens Questions

Rain Garden plant for N. Mississippi
March 03, 2010 - Rain Garden Plants for North Mississippi/Mid-South Region. I wish the search parameters included plants which tolerate seasonal flooding and droughts, so that each state might search for its own r...
view the full question and answer

Plants for a ditch in PA
June 09, 2012 - I have a property in the suburbs about 20 miles south of Philadelphia, PA. There is a small creek running across the property. The "ditch" holding the creek is about 5 feet across, but the creek i...
view the full question and answer

Grasses for moist, steep hillside in Tupelo MS
July 01, 2010 - I have a very steep bank that I have pampas grass planted in spots. It must be a natural spring in the bank because it stays very wet and runs into the street below. Can you suggest something to pla...
view the full question and answer

Riverbank retention in VA
March 26, 2012 - I need some groundcover/bank retention for a Virginia riverbank in mixed sun and shade. I want to plant something native to VA. the area is out of the water but subject to occasional (4-5 times per y...
view the full question and answer

Plants for a bioswale in TX
February 18, 2011 - Dear Mr.Smarty Plants, What kind of plants are best suited for a bioswale in Edinburg, Texas?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.