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Bog Garden Plants

Bog Perennials, Bog Ferns, Bog Shrubs

Bog Garden Plants, Bog Plants, Bog Perennials, Bog Shrubs, Bog Grasses, Carnivorous Plants, Marginal Aquatic Plants, Emergent Plants

Creating a bog garden is a terrific project that allows you to turn a slow-draining, waterlogged spot into a beautiful attraction, discover exciting plant species and attract wildlife to your garden.

Typically a bog garden consists of a shallow area adjoining a pond or other water feature. It may exploit existing poor drainage in the garden, can be created at the edge of a pond or water garden, or as a standalone feature. Permanently damp, it creates an area where moisture-loving plants will thrive and attract frogs, toads, dragonflies, damselflies while bees and butterflies will flit around the flowers.

Naturally damp clay soils are ideal, but you can create wet habitat in free-draining soil if you use a liner and introduce topsoil. You can even make a mini-bog in a container.

Bog gardens must always allow a small amount of seepage to prevent the water stagnating. Their minimum sustainable depth is 16–18 in. (40–45 cm).

Bringing a touch of boggy magnificence to your garden is easy. Late summer to early fall is the best time to begin, as your bog will be able to establish itself before winter. Spring is the best time to choose plants and plant a bog garden, as the plants will have enough time to root during the warmer months.

Choosing Bog Garden Plants

  • Bog plants love wet soil, but they do not tolerate standing water, particularly in the winter. If the ground has standing water that does not drain, pond marginals will be more suitable.
  • Bog plants thrive in soil with high nutrient levels and that contain lots of organic matter.
  • Useful to add splashes of color throughout the growing season with their lush foliage, variegated leaves or showy flowers, bog plants provide a colorful and dramatic planting opportunities. They can be perennials, ferns, shrubs or trees.
  • Select a combination of short and tall plants for cover and perches.
  • Choose plants so that there is a range of flowers throughout the year, from Marsh Marigold in spring, to Spotted Joe-Pye Weed in fall. 

There are many beautiful plants that will thrive in the moist environment provided by bog gardens. Here are excellent choices for a bog garden.

Guide Information

Landscaping Ideas Bog Gardens

Bog Garden Plants

Acorus gramineus 'Ogon', Golden Variegated Sweet Flag, Golden Dwarf Sweet Flag, Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag
Actaea racemosa, Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Black Cohosh, Cohosh Bugbane, Cimicifuga racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa var. racemosa, White flowers
Aruncus Dioicus, Goat's Beard, Goatsbeard, Aruncus Sylvestris, Spirea Aruncus, White Flowers, Shade Plant, Plants for Shade, Plants for wet soils
Athyrium Filix-Femina, Female Polypody, Lady Fern, Shade plants, shade perennial, plants for shade, plants for wet soil
Caltha palustris, Marsh Marigold, Kingcup, Boots,Meadow-Bright, Meadow Buttercup, Meadow Cowslip, Soldier's Buttons, Water Boots,Water Buttercup, Water Cowslip, Water Dragon, Yellow Flowers
Carex Elata 'Aurea', Bowles' Golden Sedge, Carex Stricta 'Aurea', Carex Elata 'Bowles' Golden', Carex Acuta 'Aurea', Carex Flava 'Aurea', Japanese Sedge Grass, Variegated Tufted Sedge, Ornamental grasses, Ornamental grass, Decorative grasses, grasses, per
Darmera peltata, Umbrella Plant, Indian Rhubarb, Giant Cup
Eupatorium Maculatum, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, Eupatorium Purpureum subsp. maculatum 'Atropurpureum', Eupatorium Atropurpureum, Eupatorium Fistulosum 'Atropurpureum', Eupatorium Maculatum 'Atropurpureum', Eupatorium purpureum 'Atropurpureum'
Euphorbia Palustris, Marsh Spurge, Swamp Spurge, Marsh Euphorbia, Yellow flowers, Drought tolerant perennial, Deer resistant perennial, rabbit resistant perennial
Filipendula Rubra 'Venusta', Queen of the Prairie 'Venusta', Meadowsweet 'Venusta', Filipendula Magnifica, Filipendula Rubra 'Magnifica' Filipendula Rubra 'Venusta Magnifica', Spiraea Venusta 'Magnifica', Pink Flowers
Geum rivale Leonard's Variety, Water Avens Leonard's Variety, Chocolate Root Leonard's Variety,  Indian Chocolate Leonard's Variety, Purple Avens Leonard's Variety
Gunnera manicata, Giant Rhubarb, Chilean Rhubarb, Prickly Rhubarb, Ornamental Rhubarb,
Iris Laevigata, Water Iris, Rabbit-Ear Iris, Japanese Iris, Smooth Iris, Iris for Ponds, Perennial for wet soil, Perennial for poorly drained soils, Purple Flowers
Iris pseudacorus, Yellow Iris, Yellow Flag, Water Flag Iris, Daggers, Flagon, Jacob's Sword, Water Skegs, Yellow Feur-de-Lis, Iris for Ponds, Perennial for wet soil, Perennial for poorly drained soils, Yellow Flowers
Iris x robusta 'Gerald Darby', Iris laevigata 'Gerald Darby', Iris versicolor 'Gerald Darby', Iris 'Gerald Darby', Iris for Ponds, Perennial for wet soil, Perennial for poorly drained soils, Blue Flowers
Lobelia Cardinalis, Cardinal Flower, Water Gladiole, Red Bay, Scarlet Lobelia, Slinkweed, Bog Sage, Hog's Physic, Indian Pink, Lobelia fulgens, Lobelia splendens, Red flowers
Matteuccia Struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern), Ostrich Fern, Ostrich-Feather Fern, Shuttlecock Fern, Shade plants, shade perennial, plants for shade, plants for wet soils
Mimulus cardinalis, Scarlet Monkey Flower, Scarlet Monkeyflower, Cardinal Monkey Flower, Crimson Monkeyflower, Diplacus cardinalis, Red flowers, Southwest natives
Myosotis scorpioides, Water Forget-Me-Not, Love-Me, Marsh Forget-Me-Not, Mouse-Ear, Mouse-Ear Scorpion Grass, Snake Grass, Myosotis palustris, Blue Ground Cover
Onoclea sensibilis, Sensitive Fern, Bead Fern, Sympathy Fern, Japanese Ostrich Fern, Ostrich Fern, Shade plants, shade perennial, plants for shade, plants for wet soil
Osmunda Regalis,Royal Fern, Blooming Fern, Bog Onion, Buckhorn Brake, Common Flowering Fern, Ditch Fern,  Kidney Fern, King Fern, Osmund Royal, Royal Osmund Fern, Rusty Fern, Water Fern, Shade plants, shade perennial, plants for shade, plants for wet soils
Primula Denticulata, Drumstick Primula, Tooth-Leaved Primrose, Shade plants, shade perennial, plants for shade, plants for wet soils
Primula Florindae, Giant Cowslip, Tibetan Cowslip, Bog Primula, Himalayan Cowslip, Tibetan Primrose, Florinda Primrose, yellow flowers, plants for shade, deer resistant plants, deer resistant perennials
Primula Japonica 'Miller's Crimson', Primrose 'Miller's Crimson', Japanese Primrose 'Miller's Crimson', Candelabra Primrose 'Miller's Crimson', Candelabra Primula 'Miller's Crimson', Shade plants, shade perennial, Red primroses
Trollius × Cultorum 'Superbus', Globe Flower 'Superbus', Globeflower 'Superbus', Shade plants, shade perennial, plants for shade, plants for wet soils, Trollius europaeus ‘Superbus’
Iris Ensata, Japanese Iris, Japanese Flag,Japanese Iris best varieties, Japanese Water Iris, Iris kaempferi, Sword-Leaved Iris
Siberian Iris growing information, Iris Siberica growing information,Siberian Iris best varieties, Iris Siberica best varieties, Siberian flag growing information
Mountain Fleece, Knotweed, Bistort, Polygonum Amplexicaule, Firetail, Persicaria Firetail, Persicaria Rosea, Persicaria Alba, Persicaria atrosanguineus,
Sarracenia

Discover more plants for your bog garden

Bog Garden Plants, Bog Plants, Bog Perennials, Japanese Irises, Siberian Irises, Water Irises, Primroses, Astilbes, Leopard Plants, Monkey Flowers
Bog Garden Plants, Bog Plants, Bog Grasses, Sweet Flag, Bushy Bluestem, Blue-Joint Grass, Sedges, Papyrus, Horsetail, Rushes, Ribbon Grass
Bog Garden Plants, Bog Plants, Bog Ferns, Chain Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Eastern Marsh Fern, Interrupted Fern, Lady Fern, Ostrich Fern,  Royal Fern, Sensitive Fern, Southern Wood Fern
Bog Garden Plants, Bog Plants, Bog Shrubs,  Button Bush, Cranberry, Dog Hobble, Great Laurel, Highbush Blueberry, Leatherleaf, Scarlet Willow, Sheep Laurel, Swamp Rose,  Tatarian Dogwood, Winterberry
Hardy Orchids, Bog Orchids, Arethusa, Calopogon, Platantherea, Pogonia, Spiranthes
Hardy Orchids, Lady Slipper Orchids, Bletilla, Cypripedium, Calanthes, Calopogon, Dactylorhiza, Epipactis, Habenaria, Orchis, Platantherea, Pleione, Pogonia, Spiranthes
Sarracenia
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Landscaping Ideas Bog Gardens

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