Native Wetland Plants
Native wetland plants can be beautiful and essential to the wildlife and conservation of urban, suburban, or rural areas. Plants native to wetlands are found in regions of the world with waterlogged or saturated soil; every continent, except Antarctica, has native plants that grow in their wetland regions.
Wetland plants live and thrive in unique soil conditions known as hydric soils.
Soils classed as hydric are formed under saturated conditions that allow the growth of native plant species when flooded or covered by water for a significant period. In some cases, hydric soils and their indigenous plant species can survive when the soil is not waterlogged or saturated during dry seasons, reducing the water level at various times of the year.
Native plants in wet soil
By including plants native to a waterlogged landscape in a natural or artificially created aquatic landscape, the aesthetic beauty of the garden can be improved; species of birds and other animals are often attracted to these plants for food and shade.
Other advantages of including native wetland plants in an aquatic landscape include flood prevention and water purification; once established, native plants should not require fertilizers or pesticides to stimulate or continue growth.
