Quick answer: 50 native plants for wet soil and rain gardens are native to Massachusetts, 36 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
50 species
- American cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon · 15 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides · 17 states
- Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis · 34 states
- Blue vervain Verbena hastata · 34 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 burnet Sanguisorba canadensis · 20 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
- Closed bottle gentian Gentiana andrewsii · 23 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Creeping snowberry Gaultheria hispidula · 12 states
- Crimson-eyed rose-mallow Hibiscus moscheutos · 28 states
- Cup plant Silphium perfoliatum · 27 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Fall obedient plant Physostegia virginiana · 37 states
- Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis · 35 states
- Gray alder Alnus incana · 26 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
- Highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum · 25 states
- Inkberry Ilex glabra · 14 states
- Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum · 35 states
- Marsh marigold Caltha palustris · 28 states
- Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana · 17 states
- Northern blue flag Iris versicolor · 10 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Ostrich fern Matteuccia struthiopteris · 13 states
- Pin oak Quercus palustris · 27 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
- Smooth alder Alnus serrulata · 23 states
- Southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum · 28 states
- Steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa · 22 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 Massachusetts: what to know
50 of the 190 plants native to Massachusetts in this directory fit this need: 26% 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 May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 42 are also shade-tolerant, 34 are also good for birds, 31 are also good for pollinators.
34 of them grow in full or partial sun and 42 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Bloodroot and Bog laurel to trees such as American holly and Atlantic white cedar. For wildlife, 31 support pollinators, 34 provide food or cover for birds and 16 are caterpillar host plants.
36 of the 50 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Bog rosemary, Crimson-eyed rose-mallow, Inkberry: common listings for these 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