8 Vines for Wet Soil (Top Species)

Substrates around fountains, ornamental ponds, rain gardens, and backyard streams have one major thing in common – they are often wet. When the soil is kept wet for long periods of time, its particles become tightly packed together. This can create anoxic or oxygen-poor zones, which may damage the roots of many moisture-sensitive types of plants. Over-irrigated, compacted soil may also become zones where pathogens and weeds are likely to thrive and spread.

Fortunately, some tough plants are able to tolerate and even thrive in persistently moist or boggy conditions. Once these develop extensive and highly fibrous roots, they can enhance the drainage capacity and improve the overall quality of the soil. These plants include trailing and creeping herbs, especially those that are most likely to be found in natural wetlands, riparian habitats, and tropical rainforests.

Moisture-loving vines usually have shallow root systems. Along with their adventitious roots, which arise from the shoot, these increase their stability in wet soils. You may grow these vines as ground cover, in which case you may leave their shoots to trail over damp ground, or you may train them to grow in a vertical manner with the aid of a fence or trellis. Keep in mind that, though some vines may seem to like wet conditions, they should still benefit from ample drainage. Consider cultivating these in a raised bed to get them started.

1) Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans)

In the wild, the trumpet vine is naturally found sprawling over riverbanks, climbing on shrubs and trees, and creating dense colonies over abandoned fields. This prolific flowering vine has evolved to make the most out of physical conditions in moist woods. Wherever its well-established stands are present, its new shoots may seem to magically jut through fertile substrates. Due to its self-spreading root system, its offsets can emerge as much as several meters away from the mother plant.

Although the trumpet vine prefers well-draining and moderately moist soils, it can tolerate occasional inundation from freshwater sources. This may actually provide it with a competitive advantage over plants with an aversion to having wet feet. Of course, prolonged and persistent flooding can damage this vine (and virtually all other moisture-loving species that do not maintain an aquatic growth habit). Thus, periods of seasonal dryness should give the roots a healthy boost.

The aerial rootlets of the trumpet vine help ensure that it may access nutrients and oxygen whenever its main root system is trapped in wet soil. They also promote vertical growth, allowing the shoot to reach heights of 20 – 40 feet (6 – 12 meters) in the presence of ample support. Healthy specimens respond to ideal moisture and sunlight levels by producing throes of their orange-red, trumpet-shaped flowers in summer.

2) Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

A woodland vine with a tolerance for occasional floods, the Virginia creeper is an ideal species for adding structure to zones with persistently moist substrates. This deciduous member of the Vitaceae family can grow quite aggressively in both urban and rural landscapes. Its stems can clamber over and weigh down native shrubs, trees, telephone poles, and fences. Despite its rapid rate of spread, it continues to be valued as an ornamental plant and as a natural tool for watershed protection.

The Virginia creeper is set apart by its decorative foliage and its fall-to-winter berries. Its leaves are composed of smaller leaflets arranged in a palmate orientation. Initially bright green, these may turn into eye-catching shades of red and purple in fall. These are borne on stems that send out climbing rootlets with remarkably strong adhesive pads. Over time, the leafy stems can cover entire walls – even without the help of a lattice or supporting pole.

Hardy to USDA zones 3 – 10, this woodbine can thrive in a wide range of ambient conditions. Of course, specimens that are exposed to full sun and warm temperatures are more likely to tolerate wet soils. In extreme heat, the roots may require constant irrigation. Bear in mind that deep watering would be more beneficial to this species than frequent, shallow watering.

3) Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)

Climbing hydrangea can survive in many types of habitats, but it grows best in areas with consistently moistened and organically enriched soils. Wet soils do pose a challenge to this species’ roots, especially if they have yet to become well-established. Though they may struggle in such conditions, the adaptable roots are more likely to survive than those of many other flowering vines, especially if the shoots are exposed to direct sun.

Ample drainage is key to keeping the roots of climbing hydrangea in good condition. Moreover, brief periods of dryness should improve their robustness and increase their tolerance for floods. That being said, this woodland vine can prove to be a spectacular addition to zones that receive fountain spray and frequent rainfall. In the wild, it favors stream banks with slightly acidic pH levels and partial to full shade.

A recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit, this stunning hydrangea can reach heights of about 30 – 40 feet (9 – 12 meters). It can be trained to grow on a trellis or left to sprawl over moist substrates as ground cover. When its shoot is left unsupported, it may produce textural mounds. Either way, its vigorous specimens should yield the loveliest bouquets of showy, white, flat-topped inflorescences in late spring to early summer.

4) Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)

Once the crossvine is well-established, it can tolerate being exposed to a few feet of standing water during periods of persistent rainfall or inundation. Impressively, it can survive in clay soils that may remain seasonally wet and cast in partial shade. Unrivaled in its adaptability, it can also prove to be drought-tolerant. That being said, this species grows best and will bloom most profusely in moist areas with full sun exposure.

The mid-spring to summer blooms of the crossvine are its most eye-catching features. Trumpet-shaped, these flaunt a warm gradient of red, orange, and yellow hues. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are hard-pressed to resist their fragrance. Even ants may occasionally be seen stealing nectar from the floral clusters. In hardiness zones 6 – 9, crossvine flowers may appear intermittently through summer and last for weeks on end.

Able to spread via suckering roots and seeds, crossvine has the tendency to scramble over plants and structures. It clings to the stems of shrubs and the bark of trees using its terminal tendrils and adhesive cups. Tall fences and walls close to the wettest zones of the garden are ideal spots on which to train its shoots. When given ample space, they can reach heights of 30 – 50 feet (9 – 15 meters).

5) Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)

Carolina jessamine is also known as evening trumpetflower, poor man’s rope, false jasmine, and yellow jessamine. It is typically found in swampy flatwoods, floodplains, creek shorelines, and moist, disturbed habitats in tropical and subtropical regions. As it is tolerant of salt, it may also be found in coastal zones. Short periods of both flooding and drought may slow its growth rate and compromise bloom production, but they are unlikely to significantly damage its roots and stems.

Perfectly suitable for vertical structures, such as chain-link fences, porch columns, trellises, and arbors, Carolina jessamine grows to about 20 feet (6 meters) tall. It is especially prolific under full sun, which should also boost its tolerance for consistently wet conditions. Its young specimens may take some time to get going, but you’ll find that they can self-spread at a modest rate after just a few weeks to months of care.

This twining vine’s eye-catching, canary-yellow bloom was declared as South Carolina’s official state flower in 1924. Abundant from February to May, the blooms can completely transform the appearance of the vine. They may appear to be glowing above their backdrop of lustrous, light-green leaves. Their showy display may just make you forget that you ever had issues with wet soil!

6) Bower vine (Pandorea jasminoides)

An evergreen, woody climber, the bower vine is a vigorous, self-spreading species in some of Australia’s tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate forests. It thrives best in humid zones with consistently moist and well-draining substrates. Though it can tolerate partial shade, its stems are likely to make their way up trees to access more light. Full sun exposure increases the rate at which this species produces its delightful blooms.

Valued by horticulturists as a flowering vine for trellises, pergolas, and fences, the bower vine is particularly attractive in late spring to summer. If temperatures are comfortably warm, its clusters of pale pink, trumpet-shaped flowers can last for months. These are contrasted by glossy, deep green leaves, which can last all throughout the year in hardiness zones 9b – 11.

The bower vine may compete with other plants in moderately wet thickets, woodlands, roadsides, and disturbed environments. Its shoots can thrive in urbanized areas because they tend to be smog-tolerant. Its penetrating root system can spread to form an extensive network in irrigated substrates. As the roots are likely to extend towards sources of water, they should not be situated close to pipes.

7) Dutchman’s pipe vine (Aristolochia macrophylla)

Dutchman’s pipe vine requires ample moisture to survive. Absolutely intolerant of dry substrates, it is only found in areas that are located close to natural sources of water and receive regular rainfall. Fairly common in wetlands associated with the Mississippi River and in freshwater basins leading all the way up to southeastern Canada, it thrives best in stream banks, moist woods, and mountain ravines. Though it does tolerate seasonal occurrences of persistently wet soil, it should ideally be grown in fertile, loam-based, and well-draining media.

Increasingly popular as a subject of research, dutchman’s pipe vine is a source of aristolochic acid. This is a carcinogenic phytochemical that can cause kidney failure when ingested. It was once perceived as an herbal treatment for various ailments, but recent findings have shed light on the dangers of its unregulated use.

This pharmacologically fascinating vine also has decorative features. Its stems, which grow to a full height of around 30 feet (9 meters), produce relatively large, heart-shaped foliage. Deep-green, these may be dense enough to fully cover a wall or supporting lattice. You’d think that its unique blooms, which look remarkably like smoking pipes, would make it a common subject of interest in moist gardens. Unfortunately, these are often hidden beneath the leaves.

8) Water vine (Cissus hypoglauca)

Experts may warn against planting water vine in consistently moist parts of the garden, especially if these areas are cast in partial shade. This fast-growing species can quickly colonize bare, rich, and cool soils. Its stems can also take over plots that are already dense with slower-growing shrubs and herbs. If all other vines have failed to take hold in your garden’s wet zones, however, you may wish to test your luck with this one! Just make sure to responsibly manage its spread if it does become well-established.

Endemic to coastal rainforests in New South Wales and Queensland, the water vine has a knack for being a pioneer species. Wet patches of land that have recently undergone forest fires, logging, floods, or storm damage are prime spots for its rapid colonization. A veritable moisture guzzler, this species produces a remarkably watery sap in its stems. Its common name is derived from this feature and not, as one might suppose, based on its preference for moist soil.

Despite its tendency to become a troublesome vine, the water vine continues to be grown in nurseries and sold as an ornamental plant. It has palmate, compound leaves, which are initially reddish and gradually deepen to a warm shade of green. The vine’s general appeal is largely due to its edible, purple fruits. Also known as “native grapes”, these are valuable as food for wildlife through spring and summer.