Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Native Plants for Wet Areas

	*Acer circinatum* Vine Maple Tall, erect, multi-trunked shrub or small tree with sprawling branches. Favors well drained moist to wet soils. Height: 13-26 feet (4-8 meters)
	*Alisma plantago-aquatica* Broadleaf Water-Plantain A terminal cluster of small white flowers sits above a tall leafless stem. It grows in marshy or semi-aquatic environments. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: up to 48 inches (120 cm).
	*Asarum caudatum* Wild Ginger Low-growing evergreen perennial that smells strongly of lemon-ginger when crushed. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall.
	*Aster chilensis* Common California Aster A slender, sprawling perennial that produces light purple flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Can grow up to 3 ft. (100 cm.)
	*Aster modestus* Great Northern Aster A tall, much-branched perennial with numerous heads of purplish flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Grows up to 40 inches (100 cm).
	*Aster subspicatus* Douglas Aster Rhizomatous perennial wildflower with much-branched stems and light purple aster-like flower heads. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Grows up to 32 inches (80 cm).
	*Athyrium filix-femina* Lady Fern Tall, delicate, light-green fronds from a basal cluster. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Grows 3-6 feet (2 meters) tall.
	*Betula glandulosa* Bog Birch Spreading, small-branched perennial shrub of bogs and wet areas. Preferred moisture levels: wet. Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall; usually shorter.
	*Caltha biflora* Marsh Marigold Perennial herb with large white flowers held above broadly rounded leaves; grows in wet subalpine meadows. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: 16 inches (40 cm).
	*Caltha palustris* yellow marsh marigold Large yellow flowers top this creeping, perennial, semi-aquatic herb. Prefers wet conditions. Height: Up to 16 inches (40 cm).
	*Camassia quamash* Common Camas Bulbous perennial producing a spike of large blue flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 28 inches (70 cm).
	*Carex cusickii* Cusick's Sedge A woodland sedge with grass-like leaves and small clusters of tiny greenish flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Carex obnupta* Slough Sedge Large grass-like plant creating thick patches in coastal wetlands. Preferred moisture levels: wet. Height: 1-5 feet (30-150 cm).
	*Cornus stolonifera* Red-osier Dogwood Spreading, thicket-forming shrub with bright red stems. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 20 feet (6 meters).
	*Dryopteris expansa* Spiny Wood Fern A semi-evergreen fern of woodland areas with triangular fronds from a stout rhizome. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: To 3 feet (1 meter) tall.
	*Eleocharis palustris* Creeping Spikerush A wetland plant with leafless, grass-like stems topped by small brownish spikes of flowers. Prefers flooded conditions. Height: Up to 3 feet (100 cm).
	*Equisetum arvense* Field Horsetail Succulent, hollow, jointed stems with whorls of branches. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: 6-24 inches (15-60 cm).
	*Equisetum telmatiea* Giant Horsetail More robust and larger than common horsetail. Sheaths around its sterile stems have 14-18 teeth. common in areas with high water tables. Height: 3-7.5 (10) feet tall; 1-2.3 (3) meters tall.
	*Eriophorum chamissonis* Chamisso's Cotton-grass Extensive beds growing from spreading rhizomes or stolons with tufts of cotton-like seed heads. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: 8-28 inches (20-70 cm).
	*Erythronium revolutum* Pink fawn lily Large nodding pink flowers grow from a thick and segmented corm. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 14 inches (35 cm).
	*Fraxinus latifolia* Oregon Ash Tough-wooded tree with gray bark and compound leaflets arranged oppositely around twigs. Prefers to be near streams or areas that flood. Height: Up to 82 feet (25 meters).
	*Galium trifidum* Small Bedstraw Sprawling perennial with numerous stems from slender rhizomes. FACW+ Height: up to 28 inches (70 cm).
	*Geum macrophyllum* Large-leaved Avens Hairy perennial with short rhizomes and big leaves topped by small yellow flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 3 feet (1 meters).
	*Glyceria elata* Tall Mannagrass, Fowl Mannagrass Tall wetland grass. FACW+ Height: Up to 5 feet (1.5 meters).
	*Glyceria grandis* Reed Mannagrass very similar to G. elata FACW+ Height: up to 5 feet (1.5 meters)
	*Gymnocarpium dryopteris* Oak Fern Delicate, deciduous fronds. Usually solitary, but often forms a mat of herbaceous cover in forests. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: To 16 inches (40 cm).
	*Iris tenax* Oregon Iris Clumped, perennial iris with large purple flowers. Prefers areas that are wet in spring and dry in summer. Height: Up to 16 inches (40 cm).
	*Juncus acuminatus* Tapertip Rush Tufted perennial grass-like plant. Preferred moisture levels: wet. Height: Up to 32 inches (80 cm).
	*Juncus ensifolius* Daggerleaf Rush Preferred moisture levels: wet. Height: Can grow up to 2 feet (60 cm) tall.
	*Juncus tenuis* Slender Rush Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist.
	*Kalmia microphylla ssp. occidentalis* Bog Laurel Small, slender-branched shrub with dark green waxy leaves and clusters of bright pink flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet. Height: Up to 3 feet (1 meter).
	*Ledum groenlandicum* Labrador Tea Evergreen, branching shrub with rusty-hairy leaf undersides and white flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 5 feet (1.5 meters).
	*Lonicera involucrata* Twinberry Tall shrub with opposite leaves and pairs of small yellow flowers in leaf axils. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 10 feet (3 meters tall).
	*Lupinus polyphyllus* Large-leaved Lupine A large perennial native forb with spikes of blue flowers from one to many hairy stems. Moist to wet. Height: 3-6 feet (1-2 meters).
	*Lysichiton americanum* Skunk Cabbage A wetland plant with very large waxy erect leaves and yellow flower spikes enclosed in a large yellow sheath. Prefers wet habitat. Height: 1-5 feet (30-150 cm).
	*Malus fusca* Pacific Crabapple Small tree, slender in form, appears thorny; bushy in the open. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: 16.5-40 feet (5-12 meters).
	*Mentha arvensis* Field Mint A wild mint with small groups of light purple flowers in the leaf axils. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist.
	*Menyanthes trifoliata* Buckbean White, curly-haired flowers and large trifoliate leaves decorate this patch-forming plant found in shallow water. Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Mimulus guttatus* Yellow Monkey-flower Large yellow tubular flowers top this deciduous-leaved wetland perennial. Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Myrica gale* Sweet Gale Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Nuphar luteum ssp. polysepalum* Yellow Pond-Lily An aquatic water lily with large, round, floating leaves and fleshy, yellow flowers held at the water surface. Aquatic, grows in shallow water.
	*Oenanthe sarmentosa* Pacific Water Parsley Semi-aquatic, often reclining or scrambling herb, with stem tips ascending or curled and small flat-topped clusters of white flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet. Height: Up to 40 inches (1 meter).
	*Petasites palmatus* Palmate Coltsfoot Many-stemmed perennial with umbrella-like leaves from creeping rhizomes. FACW- Height: Up to 30 inches (80 cm).
	*Physocarpus capitatus* Pacific Ninebark Erect to spreading shrub up to 4 meters tall with clusters of white flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 13 feet (4 meters).
	*Platanthera dilatata* White Rein-Orchid, Bog Candle Perennial orchid with spikes of white flowers from tuber-like roots. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 28 inches (70 cm).
	*Populus balsamifera* Black Cottonwood Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist.
	*Populus tremuloides* Quaking Aspen Deciduous thicket-forming tree with smooth white bark and leaves that "quake" in the wind. Can tolerate a wide range of moisture levels.
	*Potentilla anserina ssp. pacifica* Silverweed Low growing hairy herb with runners and solitary yellow flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 16 inches (40 cm).
	*Potentilla gracilis* Graceful Cinquefoil Light green herb with toothed palmate leaves and diffuse panicles of yellow, saucer-shaped flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 32 inches (80 cm).
	*Potentilla palustris* Marsh Cinquefoil Perennial from long, creeping, often floating, somewhat woody rhizomes, with small maroon flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet. Height: Ip to 3 feet (1 meter).
	*Pteridium aquilinum* Bracken Fern Rhizomous perennial fern with large, much-divided solitary fronds, Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Usually 3-6 feet (1-2 meters) tall, sometimes taller.
	*Ranunculus sceleratus* Cursed Buttercup A much-branched herb of wet areas, with tiny yellow flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Rhamnus purshiana* Cascara Erect, tall shrub or small tree with alternate leaves and inconspicuous flower clusters. FAC- Height: Up to 33 feet (10 meters).
	*Rorippa palustris* Bog Yellowcress Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Rosa pisocarpa* Swamp Rose Thicket forming shrub with spiny stems and clusters of pink rose flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist.
	*Rubus spectabilis* Salmonberry Erect and branching shrub with early spring pink flowers and reddish-orange raspberry-like fruits. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: Up to 13 feet (4 meters).
	*Sagittaria latifolia* Wapato, Arrowhead Tall semi-aquatic perennial of marshes or lake margins, with large arrowhead shaped leaves and small white flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet. Height: 3 feet (90 cm).
	*Salix lucida* Pacific Willow Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist.
	*Salix piperi* Piper's Willow Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Salix sitchensis* Sitka Willow Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist.
	*Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani* Softstem Bulrush Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Scirpus maritimus* Seacoast Bulrush Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Scirpus microcarpus* Small-flowered Bulrush Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist.
	*Sisyrinchium californicum* Golden-eyed Grass A small iris-like plant with yellow flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: 16 inches (40 cm).
	*Sisyrinchium idahoense* Blue-eyed Grass A small clump-forming iris-like plant with small blue flowers. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: 28 inches (40 cm).
	*Sium suave* Water-parsnip Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Sparganium angustifolium* Narrowleaf Bur-reed Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Sparganium eurycarpum* Broadfruit Bur-reed Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Spiraea douglasii* Douglas' Spirea Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist.
	*Thuja plicata* Western Red Cedar Large conifer with branches that droop and then turn back up (J-shaped), broad crowns. Can establish in drier sites with rich soils. Height: 100-230 feet (30-70 meters).
	*Trillium ovatum* Western Trillium Short stout stems topped with a whorl of three leaves and a single large white flower. Preferred moisture levels: wet, moist. Height: 12-18 inches (30-45 cm).
	*Typha latifolia* Broad-leaved Cattail A tall wetland plant with long, erect sword-like leaves and dense brown flower spikes. Preferred moisture levels: wet.
	*Vaccinium oxycoccus* Bog Cranberry Creeping perennial of peat bogs, producing pink flowers and dark red cranberries. Preferred moisture levels: wet.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.