Caring for your garden means doing a lot of things.
The most obvious is ensuring that your plants have enough water.
But what many new gardeners may not realize is that you can drown your plants by over-watering them.
Along with that, if the soil isn’t well-drained then the water will become drained in your garden, and this can destroy plants. In the end, the plants will die.
So, how do you counter the problem of not having well-draining soil? You could use plants that will absorb a lot of water.
What to Expect? If you don’t know what plants to use, we have picked 11 great garden plants that will help with drainage and make for a healthy garden.
Why Is Drainage Important?
Let’s consider being a plant! You’re in need of water; however, if your roots are sitting in water for long periods of time, it’s going to be a struggle.
If you were to stand in water for long periods, your body would probably not respond well. This can cause root rot, or eventually kill the plant.
In addition, overly wet soil doesn’t offer the necessary space between its particles to hold oxygen. Oxygen is another important element if you are trying to grow healthy plants.
If you are planting in your garden, it might be beneficial to assess your soil quality.
If your soil is poorly draining, the plants I will list in this guide might be able to help by absorbing more water.
11 Plants That Absorb Water
So, let’s just get into it then. Here is a listing of plants that will help with drainage in your garden.
Just keep in mind that not all plants may be appropriate for all climates, and we will let you know where and how to grow each type of plant.
1. Ferns
Whether it’s the Cinnamon Fern, Lady Fern, Painted Fern, or Royal Fern, many of these species are good in wet or moist conditions.
This is part of the reason why they are a common choice around water features and ponds.
However, there are some ferns, such as the Christmas Fern, that are not fond of wet conditions, so be aware of that when choosing your variety.
However, why do most ferns love all wet conditions? A big reason – they have deep root systems.
Another factor is that the leaves also easily absorb water, especially in larger ferns.
The Best Option – If you want a large fern, the Ostrich Fern is the best choice. They can grow as high as six feet, so ideal for very moist, wet gardens.
2. Black Gum Tree
Trees can also be wonderful to consider if you have enough room in your yard.
The black gum is a great tree choice because it reaches heights of 30 to 50 feet and is also very colorful, particularly in the fall when its leaves turn a beautiful rusty color.
The black gum prefers moist, acidic soils. Many gardeners like to plant these in low or wet areas in their yard since they like soil that is consistently moist.
You could plant just one black gum tree and it would look great, but collectively, they look beautiful in small groups as long as you have enough space in your yard.
This tree also supports wildlife as it attracts pollinators, birds, and deer who enjoy the fruit.
3. Cattails
Before we dive into the details of cattails, we should mention that these plants may be considered invasive.
They do so well in wet conditions, they can quickly take over a location, sometimes in as little as 12 months!
That said, these are very attractive plants that do exceptionally well around ponds.
They can grow to be quite large and in some cases, up to ten feet, so you need to keep that in mind.
But they are hardy, solid plants and add a unique look to a moist garden. The long flat leaves and rhizomatous roots are great for soaking up water.
For these reasons, cattails will grow almost anywhere as long as there is water.
4. Iris
One of the most wonderful things about the iris plant, is the wonderful purple/blue flowers.
You can expect to see the flowers appear in the latter part of winter, providing a pop of color for a dreary garden.
What is good about the iris, is that after it has established it will be virtually self-sufficient.
Also, they are easy to trans-plant so you should quickly have a collection!
There are multiple varieties of the iris; However, if you are trying to grow the iris in the US, the bearded iris will serve you best.
The bearded iris is a mid-sized plant that can easily grow 3-4 feet high.
Once again, please make sure that you are planting them in a sunny area.
They prefer well draining soil, but can tolerate lots of water.
Just be sure not to completely cover the rhizome or they can be subject to root rot.
In wet/rainy areas-the irises will thrive; quite well as a water usage plant. In other drier climates, just be sure to maintain watering.
5. Red Elderberry
Red elderberries thrive in riverside woods, cliff edges, and ravines.
Its a member of the honeysuckle family, grows to about 12 feet tall, and is a very large plant.
Not to mention, it has small pink buds that pop open to white flowers in late spring which is very pretty.
Furthermore, red elderberries have small fruits which birds and other wildlife love, so they are a great plant if you want to attract wildlife to your garden.
Red elderberries need a lot of water, and they will readily take it up from the soil.
They will grow in a rain garden, but if you live in a dry climate, you might have a challenge in keeping them happy.
6. Lily Of The Valley
Lily of the valley is another wonderful plant to consider for absorbing water but we want to caution you as this plant is toxic to both humans and pets.
If you have animals or kids, definitely keep them away from this plant to avoid having anything in their stomachs.
If you live in zones 2 through 7 then lily of the valley is a perfect plant for your arbitrary climate.
But even more than the plant being perfect, it’s so beautiful and the fragrance and flowers will be a topic of discussion for your yard.
Keep in mind that this plant does take a partially shaded area and the soil should be kept moist at all times– other than that, it’s not very hard to grow.
7. Indian Grass
Grasses are ideal for ground cover and this warm season grass is a serious water bender.
Don’t be fooled by the name; this plant is native to North America where it grows to considerable heights with beautiful ornamental leaves.
Place Indian grass in full sunlight and it will serve as an excellent drainage plant in your garden.
While loamy, moist soil is advisable, indiana grass will do well in clay or sandy soil. Once it is established, it is pretty much self-sustaining.
8. French Rose
The French rose is actually the parent plant to a number of tea rose hybrids and it’s won RHS awards for its beauty!
The bright pink flowers offer color to your summer garden and it will grow to around 4 foot tall, which is ideal if you don’t want a monster plant.
One of the best features of the French rose is that it is very low maintenance. It’s incredibly robust and will grow in poor quality soil.
That said – you will have to ensure that the soil stays moist as the French rose drinks a lot of water from the soil.
In saying that, the soil does need to drain well. And it’s better if the plant is positioned in a sunny place.
9. Red Maple
If you’re looking for a water-absorbing tree, the red maple is a great option.
Just be sure you have a very large garden since these things can grow to a whopping 120 feet in length!
The bottom of the trunk doesn’t contain any branches so they are commonly planted to provide shade to the ground underneath.
Once they reach an age of about 8 years, they bloom small, red, gorgeous flowers. Red maples are also lovely with relatively low care.
They are adaptable to many conditions and drink a ton of water. In fact, it is believed that a single, red maple tree can drink up to five gallons of water per week!
If you have a very large garden that gets a lot of moisture, then you’ll love having a red maple tree on your property. They will absorb enough water if you living in a wet climate.
The rainfall would be more than enough watering for your red maple tree.
10. Elephant Ear
Many people select elephant ears for their beauty.
The large-size leaves are available in different colors and can create a dramatic accent piece. However, they can also be used as a ground cover plant or filler in the background.
Elephant ears look tropical and are very easy to grow.
They thrive in moist soil and can be in full sun. Just be sure to plant the tubers after all chances of frost.
The plants require considerable water but no extra care. The only thing to remember is that they cannot take freezing temperatures.
Don’t forget: where you live, if freezing temperatures can occur, you may need to bring the plant in over the winter.
11. Daylilies
What is most interesting here is that there are well above 35,000 hybrids of daylily!
These perennials produce a whole lot of flowers each month even if a flower will only bloom for one day!
The daylily is super easy to care for and does not take a lot of maintenance once established, especially if planted in early spring.
While these plants do best in moist soil, they do need an ample amount of sunlight, usually at least 6 hours a day.
Also, you must make sure you water them regularly, as the daylily will take up a tremendous amount of water.
Conclusion
In the case you have a garden space that has moist soil and would benefit from drainage, you’ll want to select plants that will tolerate these conditions.
There are plants that absorb water for every garden, from low-growing flowering plants to massive trees.