I have a property with a couple of areas with poor drainage. After a rainfall it takes at least a few weeks to dry out. If there is frequent rain, it stays soggy for weeks. It is a narrow strip that funnels rainfall to a culvert at the front of my yard. Being it stays so wet for so long, it is difficult to cut the grass there or even walk on it without sinking into the grass and leaving impressions.

What kind of plants can survive such a wet environment. I live in NE Pennsylvania at about 1300 feet elevation. I am wondering if any kind of deciduous shrubs or evergreens would work.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Have you ever thought about installing a French drain in the strip? Installing French Drains for Yard Drainage

Thanks for your response. The area I am speaking about essentially is a French drain. My property sits at the bottom of a valley-like area. I have wetlands out back. When they build the house they needed a great deal of fill to elevate the house and septic area (so it would meet perk requirements). So, on either side of the property along the property lines is a lower area which funnels water running down from the neighbors on either side to the front of the property and through a culvert which sends it on down the hill across the street.

My thought is to plant in those areas so they do not need mowing and will not be tred upon by the kids. There will certainly be plenty of water. I just do not know if that much water prohibits certain plants or not.

Willow trees are a good choice - and they can be cut down to shrub size.

With that kind of water evergreens will rot out or drown.

I agree with Judy, willow will drink lots of water and do well. From your description that funnel or gully is not a french drain. A french drain would be a ditch with a gravel bed , drain pipe w/cloth sock on top of the gravel, the more gravel covered with soil and turf. This type of drain will drain the area very fast and keep the soil from being a bog

Thanks for the tips.

Also beech trees, ash trees - I actually worked in the green industry for a while. Never saw shrubs in wetlands that did well. I'm sure they're out there - I just saw a lot of "guaranteed" shrubs coming back under the guarantee, rotted out.

One of the last things to plant in wetland is an evergreen.

Wow, you guys are all great. I really appreciate your answers. Thanks!