Best Plants that Soak Up Water for a Wet Backyard

Wet backyards can be a big problem, especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain. But landscaping does help – including what you grow in your yard. Here’s the best plants that soak up water for a wet backyard.

What might seem like a small inconvenience can easily turn into a big problem. Water can damage your home, and pooling water ruins grass and pathways. Standing water is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes, something no one wants to encourage! 

Too much water in your garden can also have an effect on your plants. Some varieties are sensitive to moisture and rot easily when watered too often. Since you can’t control the weather, you’ll need to stick with hardy alternatives that grow well in wet areas.

Plants aren’t just great for landscaping and soaking up water, though – they also encourage biodiversity in your yard, which is more environmentally friendly. 

What are Growing Zones?

Throughout this article you’ll see mention of growing zones. These are used throughout North America (Canada and the US) to determine, generally, where plants will grow well. It goes by average minimum temperature. 

Zones range from 1 (the coldest) through 11 (warmest) and most places fall within zones 2-9. Use a plant hardiness zone map to find out what zone you live in. 

Best Plants that Soak Up Water for a Wet Backyard

Lily of the Valley Plant

One of my favorite flowers, lily of the valley, is a very hardy perennial plant that grows in almost any North American environment. They especially like to grow in moist soil, which is perfect for your wet backyard.

Once growing, lily of the valley spreads its roots around underneath the ground. This will help them spread quickly and absorb water. You should plant the bulbs in the fall so that they can come up the following spring.

Indian Grass

In Manitoba we call something like this prairie grass and I grow quite a bit in my backyard. It’s basically a type of straw-like grass that grows fast and tall. Much taller than typical breeds of grass that people have in their yards. 

This ornamental grass is great for lining flower beds or creating a more intimate backyard garden. Because of how it grows, it sucks up a lot of moisture to stay healthy. Just be careful; ornamental grasses have a tendency to spread easily in your yard.

Primrose Plant

Primrose flowers are great additions to your garden because they’re a popular food for butterflies and other pollinators. You can also get them in a variety of beautiful colours! They’re easy to grow and will come up every spring – even multiplying each year.

They like damp soil and are a great option for plants that soak up water for a wet backyard. Just make sure you plant them in the shade – primrose flowers don’t love hot summers. 

Blue Elderberry Shrub

I love blue elderberry because it can grow in almost any North American climate. These shrubs are extremely hardy and grow very well in wet soil. They’ll also help draw up some of that water so your backyard is less wet overall.

One thing to keep in mind with these shrubs is that they do take up a fair amount of space in your garden. It’s called a shrub, but blue elderberry can grow as tall as 30 feet. The berries are great for animals, particularly birds, but they can cause stomach problems for people if they’re eaten while under ripe. 

American Cranberry Bush

Another shrub for your yard, the American cranberry adds colour and foliage to your yard – and it loves water. It grows about 15 feet tall, but tends to bulk outward as well. Once fully grown, American cranberry bushes are great for providing privacy.

The cranberries on this shrub aren’t toxic to people or animals, but they don’t taste great eaten raw.

Black Chokeberry Shrub

Other types of chokeberry also soak up water for a wet backyard, but the black variety has more versatility. It grows between 3 and 12 feet tall and you’ll want to give this shrub plenty of sunlight if your yard is particularly wet.

Unlike the chokecherry that has a toxic pit (all cherry pits release cyanide when chewed and digested), chokeberries are safe to eat, although the flavour is very astringent. That means that they’re another safe berry bush for your backyard if there’s concern for kids and pets.

Atlantic White Cedar Tree

Atlantic white cedars are evergreen coniferous trees, meaning they don’t lose their leaves in the winter time. They typically grow in wetlands, which means they are especially good choices for a very wet yard.

They have high water requirements, especially when they’re first taking root, so these are an ideal choice if you’re trying to soak up excess water in a wet backyard.

Red Maple Tree

Maples are a pretty addition to your yard because of the beautiful colours they turn during the autumn months. They’re also great at absorbing excess water – a single red maple absorbs up to 5 gallons of water per week!

Red maples grow well in wet, acidic soil. The biggest draw back, like any tree, is that it takes several years for them to reach maturity. In fact, they only start flowering after about 8 years! 

More Plants That Soak Up Water for a Wet Backyard

Flowers and small plants:

• Japanese iris (although they need water to stay in order to survive
• Violets (most varieties will be fine)
• Daylilies (they love regular watering)
• Golden club (they do best in warmer climates)
• Bee balm (they like alkaline soil, which is different than most of the other plants on this list)
• Swamp milkweed (prefers clay soil, but if your garden soil is always moist they’ll thrive there too)
• Swamp hibiscus (very good for absorbing water)
• Bigleaf hydrangea  (need full sun)

Shrubs and bushes

• Common winterberry (type of holly, berries are toxic to pets and people though)
• Red elderberry (similar to blue elderberry, needs a lot of water)
• French rose (needs good drainage so the roots don’t rot, but all roses like soil that is moist)
• Spicebush (typically grows in wetlands)
• Summersweet (small, pretty, and late-blooming – doesn’t like to get too dry)
• Button bush (loves moisture)
• Inkberry (very hardy but dangerous for dogs)

Trees

• River birch (tolerates wet but prefers moist soil)
• Ash (commonly found near swamps and prefer wet soil)
• Weeping willow (roots are very good at sucking up excess water)
• Bald cypress (can absorb almost 8000 gallons of water each year!)
• Black gum (likes moist over wet soil but very hardy in extreme weather)
• Oriental arborvitae (fast growing and easy to care for)

Best Plants that Soak Up Water for a Wet Backyard – Conclusion

Hopefully you found these plants that soak up water for a wet backyard helpful. If your yard is really wet, it’s a good idea to mix a few different types of plants for the best results. Flowers and ornamental grasses can give some immediate relief, where shrubs and trees can solve drainage problems over the long term.