Quick answer: 12 native plants for wet soil and rain gardens are native to New Mexico, 9 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
12 species
- Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis · 41 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Desert marigold Baileya multiradiata · 4 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
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis · 11 states
- Scarlet monkeyflower Erythranthe cardinalis · 7 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
Native plants for wet soil and rain gardens in New Mexico: what to know
12 of the 107 plants native to New Mexico in this directory fit this need: 11% of the state's list, below 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: 11 are also good for birds, 10 are also good for pollinators, 7 are also shade-tolerant.
10 of them grow in full or partial sun and 7 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Desert marigold and Rocky Mountain iris to trees such as Eastern cottonwood and Fremont cottonwood. For wildlife, 10 support pollinators, 11 provide food or cover for birds and 4 are caterpillar host plants.
9 of the 12 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