Think About Adding Trees That Tolerate Wet Soil So, You are thinking about planting some trees that tolerate wet soil. Some mature trees can take up a lot of water - 50 to 100 gallons (190-380 l) a day. But they often return a fair amount of that water back to the ground as a kind of 'sweat'. For instance, after a severe or heavy rain, several different types of trees will secrete the water back out from their leaves which will look like raindrops. So: Are some trees giant natural sump pumps? Or are they just trying to move enough water away from their roots to be able to breathe again for a bit? Either way, there are real physical limits as to how much water any tree can absorb. When people talk about planting chronic wet spots with trees such as, they’re mostly naming the few trees that won’t die when their roots stay wet for extended periods of time. The best trees are: Willows; Eastern Red Cedar; Bald Cypress, and the River Birch Those four trees, are also popular because they all can grow in a wide range of climates and can survive dry spells, which is important; a lot of spots that "always stay wet" are actually pretty dry in the summer. Thus, if you want a big spectacular tree in the landscape, like for that huge lawn area, a moisture loving tree will likely thrive there, and putting the right tree in the right place can make the surrounding area a little drier. -Birdy