Easy-Growing Plants That Love Water

Beautiful blooms of calla lily (Zantedeschia) are a cut flower favorite that thrives in a boggy environment. Many gardeners tuck calla lily into a spot beside a pond or stream. Plants can grow in up to 1 foot of water. In cold regions, dig bulbs and store dry indoors through winter. Look for varieties that open flowers in many hues, including vibrant yellow, deep red, white and pastel shades. Plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide. Hardy in Zones 9-10.

Pump up the color in your late summer to fall garden with the stunning blooms of ‘Mars Madness’ hibiscus. Flowers open from midsummer through early fall, unfurling to a whopping 6 to 8 inches wide—as big as a dinner plate! Leaves serve copper highlights and a deer-resistant constitution. Perennial hibiscus is easy to grow, requiring little care in exchange for their flower power. Plants grow to shrub size, reaching 4 to 4.5 feet tall by 6 to 6.5 feet wide. Hardy in Zones 4-9.

This native plant has it all: fragrance, fascinating flowers, red fruit, pretty fall color and winter interest. Sugar Shack Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis ‘SMCOSS’) reduces the large native to a size that fits most yards. Flowers appear through summer and attract all kinds of pollinators, including butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Several butterfly species lay eggs on buttonbush, so don’t be surprised if you spot caterpillars munching leaves. Plants grow to shrub size, reaching 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Hardy in Zones 4-10.

Give a boggy spot a splash of vivid color with a trio of cannas: Tropicanna, Tropicanna Gold and Tropicanna Black. These cannas unfurl striking leaves that boast a variety of vibrant tropical colors and patterns. Luxuriously large flowers accent the calypso colored leaves for an exotic show. Plants grow 4 to 6 feet tall. Hardy in Zones 7-11. Lift rhizomes in colder zones to store over the winter.