Need shrubs,perennials for damp area

Anyone have a spring damp area,clay soil?
I am looking for plants that dont mind wet feet in spring but dry in summer.

Most ornamental grasses would work and cardinal plant(slang)
I also have a dwarf cypress that likes that terrain. My Seaholly is another

Thanks

I helped a friend with a VERY wet area (about half sun, half shade... maybe a tad more shade). I don't think hers gets as dry in the summer as yours may, but here is what we used in her garden:

japanese, siberian, and lousiana iris
lobelia cardinalis - gorgeous red blooms!
itea
clethra
viburnum
bog rosemary
caltha palustris
astilbes
swamp azalea
hibiscus
redtwig dogwood
salix hakuro nishiki
cimicifuga
lobelia syphilitica (but I'm concerned because this really spreads!)
ilex verticillata
cephalanthus occidentalis
ligularia

Already in the garden were bleeding hearts, hosta, cinnamon (I think) ferns, peonies, and a hydrangea, as well as some bluebells and columbine. Oh, and there are native asters too, which keep popping up where I don't want them!

I think that's pretty much everything we put in. This was about two years ago (this will be the third summer) and everything is doing fairly well. If there is anything that looks iffy, I think it's more from the sun/lack of sun than the moisture levels.

I found this link while looking up the name of a plant I couldn't remember. It's from more southern climes than us, but it might be of some help.

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/other/landscaping/hgic1718.html

Good luck!
Dee

Wet, then dry is tough. Clethra will work, but it only tolerates dryness as it matures. Is the area in hose range??

Is there room for large trees? I've recently discovered tupelo. According to the growth maps through extention services, they were once native pretty far north along the east coast and certainly in coastal New York if that's where you are. They are traditionally a swamp tree. I bought cultivar 'Red rage' this spring from Rarefind nursery because it is supposed to tolerate dryness once established.

No large trees. Diggerdee! Thanks for your list.Its just perfect. All I could think of were Actaea Black Neglege and Ligularias. This is a friends back yard. I am going to look at the space to see whats shaking .
Astilbes might work if its not too wet all the time.

Thanks to everyone who gave this some thought.


This message was edited Jun 3, 2011 3:57 AM

Flag- looks like tall yellow iris - is gorgeous and loves wet feet. I also had it in normal garden soil on eastern LI and it did fine, so summer dry shouldn't be a problem.

Pam

I have seen Yellow Flags as wild iris in ditches. Really striking.

Ligularia will wither quickly when dry.

Astilbe will go dormant when dry and the JI's, Siberian and Louisiana irises will not thrive.

I had a huge clump of yellow flag iris and was told to get rid of it since it was on the invasive list. I did get rid of it and the area has never been as nice.

Hillier's Guide to Trees and Shrubs recommends (for damp sites)
Amelanchier
Aronia
Calycanthus floridus
Clethra
Cornus alba or stoloifera and CVS (Cultivars)
Gaultheria shallon
Hiippophae rhamnoides
Lindera benzoin
Myrica gale
Neillia thibetica
Photiia villosa
Physocarpus opuliforlius and CVS
Prunus spinosa and CVS
Salix caprea, purpurea, repens and CVS
Sambucus
Sorbaria
Spiraea x vanhouttei or veitchii
Symphoricarpos
Vaccinium
Viburnum opulus and CVS
plus several trees and bamboos

I think the worrisome part is "dry in summer".

There are a few clumps of flag growing down near a stream that only flows in the spring. In the summer it looks like a meadow. The flag is on what's definitely dry land except when the water level rises in a particularly wet season, like this year. It never gets watered other than that, and I havent seen it spread in the five years I've been around--Maybe because of the dry summers?

Pam

Yes - dealing with either condition by itself is no biggie, but wet then dry is a real problem - especially with young plants.I would plant wet-tolerant plants using polymer crystals and water the area when dry.

Thanks everyone.I need to talk to her somemore to see how dry it gets or if its just "drier" in summer

This same friend of mine has astilbes in a very dry shade garden, and they do very well - surprisingly well, since they are supposed to like more moisture. They do not go dormant in the dry shade bed, staying nice well through fall.

I'd be a little leery of the yellow flag, from what I've heard. We decided to forego it in this garden.

Let us know what you decide to go with!

Dee

I suggested JI's and Siberians she turned it down. Then I said I;ll ask Daves gardeners.
Thats where we are at this point.
I doubt the Flags will be chosen.

The Rodgersia works for us.

thanks everyone.