Quick answer: 61 native plants for wet soil and rain gardens are native to North Carolina, 46 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
61 species
- American cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon · 15 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides · 17 states
- Bald cypress Taxodium distichum · 16 states
- Black willow Salix nigra · 24 states
- Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis · 34 states
- Blue vervain Verbena hastata · 34 states
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 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
- 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
- Crimson-eyed rose-mallow Hibiscus moscheutos · 28 states
- Cucumbertree Magnolia acuminata · 19 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
- 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
- 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
- Mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens · 14 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Pin oak Quercus palustris · 27 states
- Royal fern Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis · 30 states
- Scarlet beebalm Monarda didyma · 25 states
- Scarlet rosemallow Hibiscus coccineus · 9 states
- Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis · 26 states
- Silver maple Acer saccharinum · 37 states
- Smooth alder Alnus serrulata · 23 states
- Southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum · 28 states
- Southern wax myrtle Morella cerifera · 8 states
- Steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa · 22 states
- Stiff dogwood Cornus foemina · 12 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
- Titi cyrilla Cyrilla racemiflora · 8 states
- Virginia chain fern Woodwardia virginica · 24 states
- Virginia iris Iris virginica · 26 states
- Water oak Quercus nigra · 17 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 North Carolina: what to know
61 of the 315 plants native to North Carolina in this directory fit this need: 19% of the state's list, 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: 47 are also good for birds, 44 are also shade-tolerant, 42 are also good for pollinators.
41 of them grow in full or partial sun and 44 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Bloodroot and Carolina springbeauty to trees such as American holly and Atlantic white cedar. For wildlife, 42 support pollinators, 47 provide food or cover for birds and 19 are caterpillar host plants.
46 of the 61 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Crimson-eyed rose-mallow, Eastern bluestar, 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