When you plant rain garden plants, you do your part for the environment, filtering runoff and protecting groundwater. Pick the right plants and you're also rewarded with a beautiful garden!
To manage stormwater runoff, you don’t have to sacrifice curb appeal. A well-arranged, good-looking rain garden can be practical and beautiful at the same time. Rain gardens are shallow, planted areas where rainwater is collected from roofs, driveways and other places to slowly soak the water into the ground. They help to reduce erosion, remove pollutants and refresh groundwater. To build a beautiful, eye-catching rain garden, choosing the right plants is key. The best rain plants for gardens can handle wet soil. Here are 10 of the best rain garden plants that thrive in various conditions and elevate your outdoor space.
What Is a Rain Garden?
According to Mo Wang and Chuanhao Sun, “Rain gardens, as a nature-based solution (NBS), have emerged as a critical component in urban water management, particularly in enhancing hydrological regulation, water quality and ecosystem services.” In simple words, it collects the rainwater coming from roads, sidewalks and roofs and cleans it.
“Global climate change and accelerated urbanisation have intensified the challenges associated with urban stormwater management, necessitating the development of adaptive strategies tailored to these evolving conditions,” Wang and Sun said. “Establishing stormwater management systems that effectively respond to the dual pressures of climate change and urban expansion has emerged as a critical priority in urban planning and environmental protection.”
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Tall Joe-Pye Weed
One of the best native plants for rain gardens is Tall Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum or Eutrochium fistulosum), which grows 8feet tall or more, adding architectural interest and structure to a rain garden. At that height, it’s not apt to be overlooked. That also goes for butterflies and honeybees, which flock to the domed lavender-pink flower clusters for late-season sustenance. Native to wet meadows, it grows best in rich, moist soil but also survives on drier sites. It takes full sun to part shade and is hardy in Zones 4–8.
Joe Pye weed is usually considered to be nothing more than a roadside weed. But it has fantastic ornamental attributes. These plants require space, but when planted in groups, they can provide spectacular flowering and architectural height.
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Cardinal Flower
Another low-maintenance water-tolerant plant is Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) provides another late-summer snack for pollinators—including hummingbirds—when the large, tubular cardinal-red flowers appear. The vivid blooms are hard to miss in any setting. This rain garden plant prefers constantly moist soil and full sun, although some afternoon shade won’t hurt in the hottest climates. Cardinal flower grows 2 to 4 feet tall and is hardy in Zones 3–9.
Among the number of hybrid cultivars of the Cardinal flower, the most popular one is ‘Queen Victoria’, characterised by blood-red flowers and bronze foliage.
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Switchgrass
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is adaptable enough to grow in normal soil or the moist soil of a rain garden. The attractive green foliage reaches about 3 feet tall, turning yellow in fall and buff in winter. In midsummer, pink-tinged flower panicles increase the height to about 5 or 6 feet. The finely textured flowers persist through fall and also provide food for songbirds. Switchgrass prefers full sun and is hardy in Zones 5–9.
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New England Aster
New England aster is beloved for its pink, purple and blue daisy-like flowers that appear in late summer. Growing up to 6 feet tall, you can either take it or trim it back a few times earlier in the year to keep this rain garden plant from flopping. It also makes a good cut flower. New England aster is an important late-season nectar source for butterflies, especially Monarchs preparing to head south. It takes sun to part shade and is hardy in Zones 4–8.
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Marsh Marigold
The name marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) gets it halfway right: the plant does grow in marshes, but it’s not a marigold. Nor does it look like a marigold. The golden yellow flowers actually look more like buttercups. Along with the flowers, marsh marigold features unique, rounded kidney-shaped leaves and curved seedpods that look like the points on a fool’s hat worn by medieval jesters. Marsh marigold grows 1 to 1-1/2 feet tall and blooms in mid to late spring. It takes full sun to part shade and is hardy in Zones 3–7.
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Scarlet Bee Balm
Scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma) or wild bergamot, is one of the best native plants for rain gardens. It is a big draw for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.. Gardeners love the bright scarlet-red flowers and the long bloom season—up to two months in summer—and the fragrant foliage. Commonly found in bottomlands and along streambeds, scarlet bee balm is a natural for rain gardens. It grows 2 to 4 feet tall and resists rabbit and deer browsing. Scarlet bee balm takes full sun or part shade and is hardy in Zones 4–9.
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Spike Rush
Spike rush (Eleocharis palustris) is another low-maintenance, water-tolerant plant. It can grow in either standing water or in medium-wet soil, so it’s right at home edging a pond, by a gutter downspout or in a rain garden. It grows 2 to 4 feet tall and forms dense mats of grassy foliage. In summer, it features white and brown flower spikes. Spike rush prefers full sun and is hardy in Zones 3–8.
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Swamp Milkweed
As the name suggests, swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is found growing naturally in swamps and wet meadows. But with a deep taproot, it’s surprisingly resilient in other soils as well. Clusters of pink to mauve flowers appear in late summer and attract their share of butterflies. Speaking of which, the foliage is an important food source for the larvae of monarch butterflies. Swamp milkweed takes full sun to part shade, typically growing 3 to 4 feet tall. This rain garden plant is hardy in Zones 3–6.
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Prairie Blazing Star
Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) is also a good plant for wet soil. It is a tall, upright plant that packs a punch—literally. That’s because it grows in a clump and therefore corrals its bright pinkish-violet flower panicles for more oomph in your rain garden. The flowers appear in mid to late summer and make good cut flowers. Prairie blazing stars prefer full sun and are hardy in Zones 3–9.
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Prairie Ironweed
Prairie ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) is a low-maintenance, water-tolerant plant that grows 4 to 6 feet tall and up to 3 feet wide. In mid to late summer, it is topped by purple flowers. They’re a magnet for pollinators—including hummingbirds—and their stiff stems make them useful as cut flowers. Other ironweed species also make good rain garden plants. Prairie ironweed likes full sun and is hardy in Zones 3–7.
FAQ
Can rain garden plants survive drought conditions?
Yes, many rain garden plants have the ability to survive in a drought because of their adaptability and deeply developed roots.
Source Box
Research Gate: “The Application of Rain Gardens in Urban” Environments: “A Bibliometric Review”
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