What types of plants grow best in moist soil conditions?

Weeping Willow

This plant was often the subject of fairy tales and poems in Rus’. Various types of willows love damp areas and are great for garden plots. The garden willow, which can be found not only in gardens but also in city squares – Tristis, has picturesque hanging shoots, but quickly grows to impressive sizes and is therefore appropriate only in spacious gardens.

In a small dacha, it is better to grow low-growing varieties, for example, the purple willow Nana or Pendula.

According to gardeners, the weeping willow is considered an effective plant that helps to dry the soil. It can be easily integrated into any landscape project.

Birch

Another deciduous tree that tolerates wet soil well. It is believed that birch pumps up to 200 liters of water per day. Owners of damp areas also notice the effectiveness:

“When the birch grew up, we noticed that the flowerbed next to it had to be watered 3-4 times more often than the one located at the other end of the plot. Even after rain, the soil under the birch dries out 2 times faster.”

The downy birch is the most cold-resistant of the birches, so it is well suited for planting in the central region. Young specimens have a thin, sparse crown, over time it grows, becoming a source of pride for the gardener. To solve the problem of flooding, plant 2-3 trees in the lower part of the site or at the point of water drainage.

There is one nuance in growing birch: the root system does not penetrate deep into the ground, so it can suffer from windfall.

Red maple

This unpretentious tree has been used in landscape design for a long time. The variety of maple varieties allows you to choose the most suitable one for your site. Red maple, up to 15 m high, with a spreading picturesque crown, “treats” waterlogged soils well. It blooms in March-April, has reddish leaves that turn green by summer.

Prefers the sun, but is considered shade-tolerant. It is not afraid of wind, smoke and gases, so it is grown even in cities. It does not like alkalization, but grows well on wet and loamy soils, absorbing excess water. Beautiful both in a group and alone.

Grey alder

Grey alder Pendula tolerates marshy soil well. It grows up to 6 meters both in height and in width. Perfect for spacious areas with a pond: branches cascading down to the water look very picturesque.

However, more compact varieties are suitable for growing in small front gardens. These include the alder Aurea, a bush-shaped tree with a conical crown, and Laciniata, with openwork leaves.

Plum and Blackthorn

The only fruit tree that drains the soil is the greengage, a subspecies of the common plum. But the plant is demanding not only to the moisture of the soil, but also to its composition, so it will not be easy to grow a plum tree that bears fruit abundantly without observing the technology.

The blackthornplum brings the least trouble. These compact trees should be planted 2.5 meters apart. “Blackthorn” is not afraid of pests, gives a bountiful harvest, is unpretentious – but requires control, since it grows, occupying an impressive area.

Black chokeberry and viburnum

These plants are not only picturesque, but also help to slightly lower the water level in flooded garden areas. They have an intensive metabolism and fairly wide leaves, and their dense root system is close to the surface of the earth.

Chokeberry or aronia is used for planting hedges and strengthening ravines. Prefers moist loamy soils and plenty of sun. Produces tart juicy berries. Another shrub that loves water is viburnum. It is shade-tolerant and produces useful fruits in the form of red berries, from which compotes and jams are made.

Ancient metasequoia

Most conifers do not tolerate flooded areas well, but there is an unusual tree that grows well in damp places – relict metasequoia. In open ground it is successfully grown up to St. Petersburg, where it tolerates long frosts. In its homeland in China, metasequoia grows around flooded rice fields. It easily tolerates high groundwater levels.

It loves light and does not tolerate drafts. Suitable for creating oriental-style gardens and for framing water features.

The most effective solution for draining garden soil is drainage, and plants serve only as an addition. After planting them, the water balance will change over time, and the process of selecting plantings will become more flexible – you will be able to plant other bushes and trees you like.