Quick answer: 70 native plants for wet soil and rain gardens are native to New Jersey, 51 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
70 species
- American cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon · 15 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides · 17 states
- Bebb willow Salix bebbiana · 6 states
- Black willow Salix nigra · 24 states
- Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis · 34 states
- Blue vervain Verbena hastata · 34 states
- Bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum · 11 states
- Bog birch Betula pumila · 2 states
- Bog laurel Kalmia polifolia · 13 states
- Bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia · 9 states
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 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 buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis · 29 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius · 30 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 bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana · 18 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
- Groundnut Apios americana · 21 states
- Groundsel tree Baccharis halimifolia · 12 states
- Highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum · 25 states
- Highbush cranberry Viburnum opulus var. americanum · 22 states
- Hollow Joe-pye weed Eutrochium fistulosum · 24 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
- Prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata · 25 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 azalea Rhododendron viscosum · 15 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Swamp rose Rosa palustris · 27 states
- Swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius · 21 states
- Tamarack Larix laricina · 17 states
- Virginia chain fern Woodwardia virginica · 24 states
- White baneberry Actaea pachypoda · 33 states
- White doll's daisy Boltonia asteroides · 16 states
- White meadowsweet Spiraea alba · 22 states
- White turtlehead Chelone glabra · 22 states
- Witherod viburnum Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides · 24 states
Native plants for wet soil and rain gardens in New Jersey: what to know
70 of the 287 plants native to New Jersey in this directory fit this need: 24% 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: 55 are also shade-tolerant, 49 are also good for pollinators, 49 are also good for birds.
48 of them grow in full or partial sun and 55 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, 49 support pollinators, 49 provide food or cover for birds and 24 are caterpillar host plants.
51 of the 70 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Bog rosemary, Crimson-eyed rose-mallow, Eastern bluestar: 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