Like the plants mentioned on Page 1, pussy willows (Salix discolor) are wetland plants in nature, making them excellent plant choices for wet areas on your landscape. Pussy willows are deciduous shrubs that can reach a height of 20', but they can be pruned back to keep them shrub-sized. Like winterberry holly, pussy willows are dioecious. Salix discolor is indigenous to 27 states across the northern half of the U.S. from Maine to Montana, and as far south as North Carolina.
Sweet pepperbushes (Clethra alnifolia) are wetland plants that produce fragrant white blooms in July and August. The flowers of these wetland plants appear on 8" upright spikes. Sweet pepperbush can be grown either in sun or shade and reaches a height of 6'. The bush is indigenous to 20 states in the eastern U.S., ranging from Maine to Texas.
Must-haves on this list are the dogwood shrubs renowned for their vibrantly-colored bark. For example, red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), which is native to 31 states in the northern U.S. (including Alaska), is valued for the red color of its bark, as its common plant name suggests. Other examples include:
Meadowsweet shrubs (Spiraea latifolia) are wetland plants indigenous to 18 states in northeastern U.S., ranging from Maine to Minnesota and as far south as North Carolina. Meadowsweet tolerates all soil types except heavy clay soils. Its white floral spikes waft pleasing aromas from June to September. These 4' wetland plants are members of the rose family.
On Page 3 we'll look at some wetland plants with showy blooms....
