I have too many special favorite bog plant so here are 3...

1) I'll start with the most hazardous! Toxicodendron vernix or Poison Sumac. It ONLY grows in bogs and wet areas. It is well behaved (as long as you don't bruise it, and get the juice on you), and it has the most fantastic brilliant red fall color I've seen!

2)Spiranthes cernua, odorata, and magnicamporum, or Ladies tresses. these wonderful late fall blooming orchids self sow around my bog and other gardens giving me a great bloom in Oct./Nov. and they have the most wonderful fragrance that you can smell all around the yard.

3)Drosera rotundifloia, intermedia, and filiformis, or Sundews. they are fairly small plants, have pretty pink or white flowers, and devour small insects. These also self sow around the bog and their glistening leaves are great when the sun shines on them.

Fred, I thought I was the only person on the planet who liked poison sumac. :)

My favorite bog plant is swamp milkweed.

I am in love with cardinal flwoer of all kinds! Im a fan of humming birds and them love'em! Missy

My favorites are Joe Pye Weed, perennial hibiscus (with the great big saucer flowers), and the tall pink or purple variety of ruellia. I like the tall umbrella sedge, too.

I see this was posted a while back but it caught my eye. When you say you plant daylilies, is that any kind of day lily? Also, do the iris' included the bearded iris or just the flag iris? I love impatiens and have tons in my garden. I didn't realize they could go into the bog too. I can't wait for next year. This is our first year and I haven't gotten very far. Lots to learn. Thanks.

Cheryl

Some daylilies will resent constantly wet soil. Some don't mind. It's hit or miss. Lot of the older varieties have a better shot at surviving.

Bearded iris will rot. Most beardless love damp feet, japanese, siberian, louisiana, versicolor and more.
{{gwi:430526}} How can you resist an iris the size of a plate looking you in the eye?? I can't!!!!!!!

My favorite bog plants are pitcher plants and their hybrids. The bumble bees often successfully cross-pollinate between species.

Hi Guys, I just planted two of these this year, so I expect it to be my favorite bog plant: Here it is:
Petasites japonicus--Japanese Butterbur
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Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9 Height: 3 ft Spacing: 5 ft
Type: herbaceous perennial Flowers: White

Comments: Japanese Butterbur can become a hard to control weed. The white flowers appear on a tall stalk in the early spring. After flowering occurs, the large, rounded leaves emerge. The plant may be used in wet areas and in the shade. The plant is native to Asia.

Propagation: Use sections of the rhizomes.

Cultivars:
var. giganteus - This large plant will be 6 feet tall
with leaves that may be 3 to 4 feet across.
Debra
References for Cultivars: Weston Nurseries 1999, Wayside
Gardens 1999.

My favorite bog plant is "parnassia" It is a beauty in a bog .It blooms in the fall (middle of October) And it is hardy here in zone 5. I would like to post a picture but I don,t know how.

my favorite is corkscrew rush.

My favorite is pink jewelweed (impatiens campensis).

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:430523}}

My favorite was the red Texas Star Hibiscus until I found the white variety. I wonder if there is a purple one out there?
Lynn

Hi
I think in my area I've only begun to find "bog " plants.
Been so surpised at the number of tropicals from the "moist but well drained" catagory that actually do better in a bog situation.Palm, gingers,impatiens tropical iris,gesneriads,and on and on. Another aspect is to build up areas creating dry islands. I've yet to find one in that catagory that is not doing as well, usually better than
normal culture. Impatiens become perrenial in a bog while they croak as soon as heat sets in in other sites
There are many other benefits less watering,fewer weeds
which are easier to pull,ease of transplanting.
Wish I'd known this much earlier
As to a favorite?? I love them all!!
Gary

Other than my Ferns and hardy Orchids, Parnassia grandifolia makes a wonderful statement in my Bog.

There are many bulbs that will bloom in bogs, such as leucojum aestivum, Dutch iris, Naples onion, Narcissus 'Trevithian' and 'Grand Primo', crinum, hymenocallis and canna.

Most Unusual: Kalanchoe (because it grows like crazy in the bog--even though I thought it wanted a drier soil.)

Favorite: Calla Lilies w/ white spots on leaves

-Celestial

There are so many great ones. Jewelweed is perhaps my favorite. I noticed Sheryl posted earlier and mentioned Pink Jewelweed. I don't know if what I consider jewelweed is pink or not. All the jewelweed IÂve ever seen (mostly in MD) has orange blooms. Jewelweed is a great cure for poison ivy and provides excellent habitat for Bog Turtles. Its been my experience that the orange on the turtles cheeks is identical to the orange of the jewelweed. Coincidence?...I think not.

Well, this coming growing season will be my first in the bog... but I am planning on liking Monkey Flower (mimulus) and Rodgersia! And I'm looking here for more suggestions.

Also going to take a crack at growing Gunnera, although it sounds like it can be tricky.

Hey SueNH -- who'd you vote for?? Oh wait, actually, I am wondering what iris variety you have posted there. Very nice.

I planted the Japanese Butterbur four years ago and oh boy!!! It began it's treck at the edge of our property and before long it had galloped up to the back deck, knocked at the door and tried to take root in my living room rug!! The good news is it's very easy to remove, and I'm still having a love affair with it. Dinosaur food. It's great!

I like chinese waterchestnuts. They look like big spiky rush. Watercress is great too. So is celery. Celery grows and grows and becomes a very 'woody' plant that's not suitable for food. But they all look cool with their different shades of green constrasting with all the different colored lilies.

No one has mentioned iris pseudo acoris, a yellow European iris with tall spiky leaves. King Clovis of France (in the 400s AD) recognized a river ford by their growth and saved his army from an onslought of the Visigoths. I love plants with stories as well as good looks.
Gnomlet

Hibiscus Coccineus (Texas Bog Hibiscus) is wonderful Likes
either full sun, or part shade. Gets 7 foot tall and as wide if not clipped back. Blooms are huge star shaped and
intense red. They attract Hummingbirds. They are late to appear in the Spring, as are all perenial Hibiscus, but worth the wait.

Bladderworts, barely can seen them until flower. Then it like lawn of miniture orchid flowers

loosestrife..lysimachia congestiflora...there must be 50 flowers on each plant right now..a beautifull yellow

my favorite bog plant has got to be lysichiton americanum or the western skunk cabbage. beautiful large yellow flowers and huge, green leaves w/ a nice blue and yellow sheen.

next favorite is the western coltsfoot w/ purple/pink flowers. next favorite is the giant chain fern - woodwardia fimbriata - has fronds 8 or 9 ft long!

Here is a link that might be useful: pics of my gardens

There are two great butterfly attractors for bogs. One is a shrub native to parts of the US, Cephalanthus occidentalus, aka Button bush. It has ball shaped white flowers, and grows about 5' high. If you like the flower but don't want the size, try Water Snowball, Gymnocoronis spilanthioides. It's a weed in the tropics, but not frost hardy and makes a great annual further north.

i've grown rather fond of false spirea. it's bushy foliage and tiny flowers just make it an eye catcher.

my new arrowhead, and it's beautiful and abudant flowers, is quickly winning me over as well.

link below is to several examples of false spirea varieties.

Here is a link that might be useful: false spriea

Hibiscus lasiocarpus is my all time favorite. Much to my surprise, it was listed as a "rare species" in Calflora. Quess it's just where you live! Go where it lives and it is almost a pest. CA native plant people need to leave the metropolitan areas! Next on my list is Platanthera hyperborea (Green-flowered bog orchid). Because of the beauty of the Louisian Iris', I cannot have a purely California native wet land. They are the beauties of the bog!

Hymenocallis (spider lily) is a great native bog plant with large white flowers in summer. I've seen them growing in river backwashes in two places (one group in the side of the river bed and many plants in a mucky floodplain), but I'm not sure which variety.

Hymenocallis caroliniana is hardy here in zone 7 in moist garden soil and was often grown by our grandmothers in their flower gardens. Other hymenocallis varities prefer bogs, and some are less winter hardy.

I have two pineapple tops growing in the boggy edge of my pond for the summer. they are going great!

Well i must say I have gotten a lot of great ideas and a couple that you all might know or may be interested to know.
Hosta-undulata varigata and lancifolia do well in my boggy back yard-we are wet(I mean standing water) from Nov. -June and they do well. I also have yellow flag iris, Sib. iris. Many of my daylily don't mind wet feet, but 'Sammy Russell' takes the prize because he doen't mind the shade either-not to mention the clay. Of course there are those gorgeous J. Primrose-lots of different colors & 'Alexander' loosestrife is a nice bright spot in the shady bog

The white calopogan followed closely by Ladies Tresses.

Chelone glabra aka turtleheads or snakehead I have white and pink in my wetlands.
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there are a few favorites: Marsh Merrigold, Joe Pye Weed, Water Iris's

Hard to pick,guess bladderworts?

Carolina bog mint, atamasco lilies, seashore mallow.

My Canna's love my boggy wetlands and would take over if allowed. Also Egyptian Cypress and all the Cypress for that matter. I have bearded Iris that have been growing in a wet spot near my farm ponds edge for years and just continues to multiply rapidly. I have many wild flowers that I do not know the name of that come up, but Bluettes and Verbena are two that I can name. Then there is a tiny white orchid that loves to take over as well as wild gingers, Arrowheads, Arums, Ferns...my place is a natural botanical garden so it's hard to go on. You must live on a wetland to know what I mean.

Oh, bladderworts for sure!
Mine showed up out of nowhere. I figure birdy
business brought it there.
They have beautiful, tiny yellow violet type
flowers on impossibly slender stems.
So exciting to find them in there!

kathy
www.blogfromthebog.com

Cannas are my favorite.
Other interesting plants:
Lizard tail
Moneywort (although mine has rust spots :( for some reason)

Never, ever plant chameleon plant - unless you want an entire garden full of it. I kid you not.

Chameleon plant,(IN the water,IN a pot, and Golden Moneywart. :) Arum

Gee, only a couple votes for carnivorous plants?

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Sarracenias of all types!

bladderwort.......excuse me a sec, I have to go potty.
Actually "Cardinal Flower" red.

Northern White-Cedar or arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis).

I have scored a DNR grant for deer exclosures and am re-introducing this beautiful species to my 30 acre bog-riverine-wetlands complex.

There is something wonderfully human-like in the white cedar's nodding form, smooth bark, and finger-like foliage. They have a very appealing child-like blond/green-eyed personality unusual for the plant kingdom. The ojibwe Indians considered them sacred and I can see why....

I love the cobra plant! Darlingtonia californica(even though it is not the easiest bog plant to grow because of its roots having to be cool all the time)

Wow! What a lot of great ideas! Thanks....

Carnivorous! And one plant (probley a weed) that just popped up with small star shaped purple flowers.

The worse....creeping charlie