Quick answer: 31 native plants for wet soil and rain gardens are native to Maine, 20 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
31 species
- Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides · 17 states
- Bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum · 11 states
- Bog laurel Kalmia polifolia · 13 states
- Bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia · 9 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Canadian serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis · 21 states
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana · 20 states
- Cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea · 32 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Creeping snowberry Gaultheria hispidula · 12 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Fall obedient plant Physostegia virginiana · 37 states
- Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis · 35 states
- Gray birch Betula populifolia · 17 states
- Great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica · 36 states
- Great laurel Rhododendron maximum · 20 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Ostrich fern Matteuccia struthiopteris · 13 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Royal fern Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis · 30 states
- Scarlet beebalm Monarda didyma · 25 states
- Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis · 26 states
- Sheep laurel Kalmia angustifolia · 13 states
- Silver maple Acer saccharinum · 37 states
- Southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum · 28 states
- Swamp rose Rosa palustris · 27 states
- Tamarack Larix laricina · 17 states
- Virginia chain fern Woodwardia virginica · 24 states
- White baneberry Actaea pachypoda · 33 states
- Witherod viburnum Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides · 24 states
Native plants for wet soil and rain gardens in Maine: what to know
31 of the 125 plants native to Maine in this directory fit this need: 25% of the state's list, well above the 15% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through November, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 28 are also shade-tolerant, 19 are also good for pollinators, 19 are also good for birds.
21 of them grow in full or partial sun and 28 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Bog laurel and Bog rosemary to trees such as Atlantic white cedar and Bur oak. For wildlife, 19 support pollinators, 19 provide food or cover for birds and 11 are caterpillar host plants.
20 of the 31 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Bog rosemary: common listings for it are often a bred variety or a different 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