Wetlands: Plants
These are not the plants recommended for bioretention cells, rain gardens etc. Bioretention cells, bioswales and similar normally have moderate to dry soil conditions.
If you're looking for bioretention type plants, you may choose from all of these grasses, perennials, shrubs, and trees.
The most common types of emergent vegetation used in North American wetlands are cattails (Typha spp.), bulrushes (Scirpus spp.), and reeds (Phragmites spp.), although a variety of other wetland vegetation can be used as well. In many cases, monocultures are recommended rather than attempting to support biodiverse vegetation since the more “aggressive”, stress-resistant wetland plants (e.g., cattails) will quickly displace others if they are present.
In surface flow wetlands, cattails and bulrushes are the most common types of emergent vegetation used. The most common type of plant used in sub-surface flow wetlands is reeds, but cattails, bulrushes, reed canary grass (Pharis arundinacea) and managrass (Glyceria maxima) have also been used.[1]
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Native | Partial shade tolerance | Drought Tolerance 1=Low 2=Med 3=High |
Salt Tolerance 1=Low 2=Med 3=High |
Pollution tolerance | Compaction tolerance | STEP star! | Illustration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (Scirpus validus) | Soft-stem Bulrush | Y | 1 | 2-3 | Y | 
| |||
| Scirpus atrovirens | Dark-green Bulrush | Y | 1 | 2 | Y | 
| |||
| Scirpus cyperinus | Cottongrass Bulrush | Y | 2 | 2 | 
| ||||
| Typha latifolia | Broad-leaf Cattail | Y | 1 | 2-3 | Y | 
|
- ↑ Jacques Whitford Consultants, 2008. CONSTRUCTED & ENGINEERED WETLANDS p. 1-21