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Plants for Waterlogged soilClick here for a printer friendly summary of plants on this page.
C - Climber P - Perennial S - Shrub T - Tree 
Waterlogged soil is not the same as boggy soil. If soil is boggy, then it is like that all year round which means that plants that like to permanently have their roots in water can grow. Waterlogged soil is a different matter and a much bigger challenge. This is soil that for part of the year is saturated, possibly with some standing water, but at other times it dries out to the point where bog-lovers would shrivel up and die. Such conditions are found fairly commonly, particularly in newly built housing, fortunately the extent is usually limited, but often there's a "soggy corner". This is where most plants that go in are pulled out a few months later brown and shriveled above ground, wet and smelly below.
There is a fairly straightforward long term answer in a lot of cases and that is to dig in lots of organic matter and also small gravel - pea shingle, and sharp (not fine) sand. This won't of course address major problems, but will frequently help in that soggy corner or at least increase the range of plants that will grow there.
One of the best shrubs for waterlogged areas for most gardens. Dogwoods are often grown for their winter stem color which is red or yellow. There are also varieties with attractive variegated leaves. Unfortunately the best ones for stem color have ordinary green leaves and the best ones for leaf color have duller stem color, so you pays your money and takes your choice. White flowers in spring as a bonus. Dogwoods tolerate the wettest soils. I've had them survive happily when at planting the hole I had dug filled completely with water when I turned round to get the plant. For leaf color; Cornus alba "Elegantissima", white margined leaves, C. alba "Gouchaultii" pink flushed yellow margined leaves, C. alba "Spaethii", broadly yellow margined leaves. For stem color; C. alba "Sibirica", plain green leaves, bright red winter shoots, good autumn leaf color. C. stolonifera "flaviramea", bright yellow-green winter shoots. All types best treated as coppice stools for best stem color and to stop them growing into a small tree. Once established after 1-2 years, cut stems back to within 6" of ground level in Feb - March. In this way lots of new brighter shoots and leaves are produced each year.
Roses - Shrub and species types are pretty tough, but don't push it too much. S
If experimenting try planting small plants rather than large ones as small ones tend to establish better and you may get more success with something in a 9cm or 1L pot than something that comes in a 2 or 3L pot or bigger. (they're less expensive too if they fail). |
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There isn't a great deal of choice of plants due to the difficulty
of the conditions but there are sometimes surprises of what will survive. 
Carex - sedges
P 
Many
Carex species are bog plants and so may not take too kindly to the wet
/ dry nature of waterlogged soils. One that I do know that works is
Carex buchananii - red fox sedge. Brown / orange
leaves growing up like a fire-work coming out of the ground to about
18" and then tapering away to an indefinite curly tip. Tolerates the
wettest of soils. They work very well contrasted against green leaves,
gravel or boulders. Maybe worth trying other varieties
Honeysuckles
are amongst the most romantic of flowers, their shape is one or organised
abandon and the scent is simply heavenly. That said however, they are
not the easiest of plants to place. They are generally vigorous and
grow in three dimensions better than two, so up and over a pergola,
or better still a tree rather than up a trellis where they tend to grow
quickly to the top before flopping voluminously downwards. If you can
accommodate one, then definitely get one (at least). Don't put them
in pots - they tie themselves to supports and you'll have a devil of
a job to free them for re-potting.
Also some evergreen varieties, recommended,
Lonicera halliana and Lonicera henryi which
are both evergreen.
Most
species enjoy wet conditions, but CAUTION, many of them grow into
large trees and are one of the worst culprits for causing housing subsidence
through their root spread. Don't plant the large types unless you
have a very large garden, and then plant well away (40m, 130ft) from
buildings.
Not
a likely candidate for wet soils at first glance as it is often grown
on well drained sea-side soils. I discovered its wet-tolerance when
I planted it by mistake once (i.e. I wouldn't have if I'd known) in
a dried out waterlogged soil in the summer. By the next spring whereas
some other plants around had died, the Tamarix was doing well. Withstands
a fairly high degree of wetness, but don't bother if the planting hole
fills with water as you're digging it.
