I'm a bit surprised that cardinal flower didn't grow well for you there as it grows happily along a river bank here where the water levels fluctuate enough that it is under water in the spring and fairly dry in late summer. I have also seen it blooming in full shade along a steam. Was yours the true native or a garden center variety? What other plants have you tried? Is there some sun in your wet area or is it all day deep shade? Here are some natives that are happy at a wetland edge. I'm giving you shrubs as well as some herbaceous perennials. Be sure you know your soil pH and whether it fulfills the plants' requirements since I live in an area of acid soils, but I don't know your pH. - Rhododendron viscosum (swamp azalea) has white to pink early summer flowers which are vanilla scented. This will only flower if it gets at least some sun. - Clethra alnifolia (Sweet pepperbush or summersweet) has spikes of white to pink late summer flowers. Some of the selections of the species are better than others for impact: 'Ruby Spice' has pink flowers, 'Anne Bidwell' sports clusters of white spikes and 'Sixteen Candles' is compact with large white spikes. Clethra flowers better in more sun, but is tolerant of sun, shade, wet or dry and will flower at least some in all these conditions. - Ilex verticillata (winterberry deciduous holly) has showstopping fall to early winter scarlet berries on bare branches, but needs at least half day sun to flower and berry well. 'Winter Red' holds the berries the longest, according to research I've read, and is the variety I grow, though is only now getting large enough to berry. Be sure to plant the appropriate male in an unobtrusive place in order to get berries. - Caltha palustris (marsh marigold) has bright yellow spring flowers in wet areas, and the foliage will die back in summer if it's dry. It seems to do well in some shade since it grows and blooms largely before the trees leaf out. - Osmunda cinnamonea & O. clatoniana (cinnamon & interrupted ferns) both provide statuesque foliage for shade. They tolerate wet soil, but are happy if the soil is normal moisture also. - Osmunda regalis (royal fern) is a tall lacy wetland fern with beautiful clear yellow fall foliage and requires wet soil all the time. I've seen it in sun and shade. - Veratrum viride (false hellebore) has large, pleated foliage that would make a good hosta substitute and needs to be in a wet area. Everywhere I know that this grows is in the shade. I've never seen it at a regular nursery, but you might find it at a wetland mitigation nursery or specialist nursery for wetland plants. For late summer bloom, there are several large statuesque plants, including Eupatoriums and Veronias, but all need at least half day sun and are happiest in full sun. - Eupatorium purpureum (now renamed by botanists as Eupatoriadelphus maculatus, common name joe pye weed) has clusters of mauvy purple fringy flowers in late summer. - Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset) has similar clusters of white flowers in August. - Veronia has deeper purple flowers. Vernonia fasciculata (prairie ironweed) is tolerant of moist and dry conditions as is V. noveboracensis (New York ironweed.) There may be others local to you that work well. - Iris versicolor (blueflag iris) is a native iris that I've seen blooming in full shade. It will bloom better in some sun. (As a side note, don't plant Iris pseudacorus, yellow flag, as it is an non-native that is invasive in wetlands.) Side note on "bogs" and other wetlands since Ken added comments about this . . . Technically bogs are a year-round wet area with a low pH and virtually no flow, unlike the way this term is often used. They grow plants such as sphagnum moss, pitcher plants, and native cranberries. It is common around here to have seasonally flooded wetlands, either vernal pools which are flooded in spring but dry up in summer, or areas which flood after rainstorms for a few hours or days. Some wetland fringes are underwater in wet times but quite dry in low rain times. Any type of seasonally wet area tends to be difficult growing conditions as there are a limited number of plants which like being submerged at the beginning of the growing season but also are happy if they are bone dry in August.

I have the same issue and am working on it too. If you hit on a great method, I would love to know! Ponding it isn't an option for me, even though I had a pair of ducks paddling about a few weeks ago..LOL Mine is a large city lot, with heavy clay soil. Two neighbors graded their lots with drainage toward mine (decades ago). When it rains it turns the corner of my yard in to a big giant puddle. It takes days to dry out leaving a squishy mess fit only for weeds. With the loss of the only tree in that area of the yard, it is bound to get worse. I added a layer of black dirt last year, but it didn't make a huge dent. This year, the chips from the stump grinding of the pine tree that pulled up due to the wetness and wind,are being added in to try to lighten the soil. Today I planted a butterfly bush and baby joe pye weed to see if they would grow. It needs something to break up the clay and be able to tolerate wetness in the spring, but hot full sun in the summer. I am trying to figure out what else to plant that might help do this. Any ideas?

BigMama - Don't forget to look at the link Fran made and make some requests from the lists also. I will do my best to get you some of your requests. Becky - I will also be posting some more toward the end so keep checking back I am trying to get to the nursery but just haven't made it yet. Fran - I will be happy when Im back to being me again also. I have one more test at the hospital on Monday. I am praying everything is alright because 2 weeks ago there was a problem and if its not corrected at this ultrasound they are going to have to do another dnc. So not looking forward to that. I just realized I missed your offers completely. LOL. Marian - I noticed noone requested your coontail moss I would love a sm piece of that also. I am looking for a couple oxygenators. NEW REQUESTS marian - coontail moss fran - Litrope, Thalia, orange canna, wild daffs.

Am back, just a bit busy with my husband's health problems. Thanks for the flowers, Lilo. I cut a few daffs about a week ago and Wednesday and Friday we had a hard freeze. All spring blooms, including the Redbuds and Bradford Pears in town are done for the year. did not even last a week and today we have an all day slow rain.