Quick answer: 13 native plants for wet soil and rain gardens are native to Colorado, 11 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
13 species
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius · 30 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii · 7 states
- Gray alder Alnus incana · 26 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Highbush cranberry Viburnum opulus var. americanum · 22 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis · 11 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
Native plants for wet soil and rain gardens in Colorado: what to know
13 of the 100 plants native to Colorado in this directory fit this need: 13% of the state's list, close to the 15% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through October, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 13 are also good for birds, 10 are also good for pollinators, 8 are also shade-tolerant.
11 of them grow in full or partial sun and 8 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Rocky Mountain iris and Seep monkeyflower to trees such as Eastern cottonwood and Fremont cottonwood. For wildlife, 10 support pollinators, 13 provide food or cover for birds and 5 are caterpillar host plants.
11 of the 13 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Feb-Apr
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms May-Oct