Quick answer: 9 native plants for wet soil and rain gardens are native to Washington, 4 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
9 species
- Bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum · 11 states
- Bog laurel Kalmia polifolia · 13 states
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · 39 states
- Marsh marigold Caltha palustris · 28 states
- Pacific trillium Trillium ovatum · 3 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
Native plants for wet soil and rain gardens in Washington: what to know
9 of the 78 plants native to Washington in this directory fit this need: 12% of the state's list, below the 15% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through October, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 6 are also good for birds, 5 are also shade-tolerant, 5 are also good for pollinators.
7 of them grow in full or partial sun and 5 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Bog laurel and Marsh marigold to trees such as Quaking aspen. For wildlife, 5 support pollinators, 6 provide food or cover for birds and 2 are caterpillar host plants.
4 of the 9 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.
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun
- Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis · Sun · blooms May-Jun
- Broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Apr-Jun