Planting in a Wet/Swampy Area?

A very common question we receive is "I have a wet/swampy area.  What should I plant that won't die right away"?

Wisconsin’s wetlands—spanning floodplains, swamp forests, marsh fringe, and shrub thickets—support a variety of trees especially well-suited to the moist, often inundated environments. Here’s a quick write-up we came up with: 

Choosing the Right Trees
Success begins with selecting tree species that tolerate or thrive in wet soils. These are the tree varieties we carry that are adapted to Midwest conditions and can handle wetter/swampy areas.

• Swamp White Oak and Overcup Oak.   Bur Oak can also handle a decent amount.

• White Cedar (Arborvitae)

• Tamarack

• Black Spruce and Red Spruce

• Red Maple and Silver Maple

• River Birch

• Black Willow and Pussy Willow

• Tupelo (Black Gum)

• Hackberry

• Cottonwood

• Sycamore

• Speckled Alder

• Winterberry

• Buttonbush

• Balsam Fir (edges of swampy areas)

Canary Grasses
Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea), plays a major ecological role in Wisconsin wetlands—and not always a positive one.   A native ecotype of Reed Canary Grass does exist in parts of North America, including Wisconsin.  However, most of what dominates wetlands today is an aggressive Eurasian variety introduced for forage and erosion control.  This non-native strain is considered invasive and has largely displaced native vegetation.  Many swampy/wetland areas also contain this grass, making establishing new trees difficult.  Tree planting in reed canary grass-dominated areas often requires site prep and competition control (mulch mats, tube protectors, or planting larger stock).

Expectations
Swampy areas can be a challenge for any planting.    Consider a 50% success rate a good starting point for expectations.