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Native Rain Garden Plants

Moisture-loving natives for rain gardens, pond edges, downspout basins, and the low spots that stay soggy after a storm.

Tip: open your state below for the version of this list filtered to plants native to your region and hardy in your zone.
The plants

27 native species in this collection.

A rain garden catches roof and driveway runoff and lets it soak in instead of rushing to the storm drain, and these natives are built for that boom-and-bust of flood then dry. Put the most water-tolerant species in the wet center and the merely moisture-loving ones up on the sloped edges. Once established they handle both the standing water and the dry weeks between storms.

Spring ephemeral

Virginia Bluebells

Mertensia virginica

Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, hardy in zones 3–8, where it blooms Mar through May.

  • Part shade
  • Average–wet
  • 1–2 ft
  • Blooms Mar–May
Perennial wildflower

Golden Alexanders

Zizia aurea

Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 1.5–2.5 ft tall, where it blooms Apr through Jun.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 1.5–2.5 ft
  • Blooms Apr–Jun
Small tree

Serviceberry

Amelanchier canadensis

Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, spreading 10–20 ft, where it flowers in Apr and May.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 15–25 ft
  • Blooms Apr–May
Shrub

Arrowwood Viburnum

Viburnum dentatum

Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, hardy in zones 3–8, where it flowers in May and Jun.

  • Sun to shade
  • Average–wet
  • 6–10 ft
  • Blooms May–Jun
Shrub

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, spreading 4–8 ft, where it blooms Jun through Aug.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 5–10 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Culver's Root

Veronicastrum virginicum

For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, cold-hardy to zone 3, where it blooms Jun through Aug.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 3–5 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Aug
Shrub

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata

Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, spreading 5–8 ft, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 5–10 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Jul
Perennial wildflower

Cardinal Flower

Lobelia cardinalis

Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, electric scarlet flowers, where it blooms Jul through Sep.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Cup Plant

Silphium perfoliatum

Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, for clay and loam ground, where it blooms Jul through Sep.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 5–8 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Dense Blazing Star

Liatris spicata

Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, for clay and loam ground, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.

  • Full sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Scarlet Beebalm

Monarda didyma

For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, reaching 2.5–4 ft, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2.5–4 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed

Eutrochium maculatum

For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, hardy in zones 3–8, where it blooms Jul through Sep.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 4–7 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Swamp Milkweed

Asclepias incarnata

Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, rose pink flowers, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 3–4 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Aug
Perennial wildflower

Douglas Aster

Symphyotrichum subspicatum

Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, violet-blue flowers, where it blooms Aug through Oct.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Oct
Perennial wildflower

Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica

For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, deep blue flowers, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2–3 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Obedient Plant

Physostegia virginiana

Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, happy in clay and loam soil, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 2–4 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Sep
Perennial wildflower

New England Aster

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 2–3 ft wide, where it flowers in Sep and Oct.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 3–5 ft
  • Blooms Sep–Oct
Shrub

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin

Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, happy in clay and loam soil, where it flowers in Mar and Apr.

  • Part shade
  • Average–wet
  • 6–12 ft
  • Blooms Mar–Apr
Evergreen shrub

Inkberry Holly

Ilex glabra

Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, cold-hardy to zone 4, where it flowers in May and Jun.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 4–8 ft
  • Blooms May–Jun
Shrub

Ninebark

Physocarpus opulifolius

Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 5–10 ft tall, where it flowers in May and Jun.

  • Full–part sun
  • Dry to wet
  • 5–10 ft
  • Blooms May–Jun
Shrub

Red-Twig Dogwood

Cornus sericea

Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, happy in clay and loam soil, where it flowers in May and Jun.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 6–9 ft
  • Blooms May–Jun
Shrub

American Elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 6–12 ft wide, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 6–12 ft
  • Blooms Jun–Jul
Perennial wildflower

Blue Vervain

Verbena hastata

Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, for clay and loam ground, where it blooms Jul through Sep.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 3–5 ft
  • Blooms Jul–Sep
Perennial wildflower

Common Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 2–3 ft wide, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.

  • Full–part sun
  • Average–wet
  • 3–5 ft
  • Blooms Aug–Sep
Browse by state

Rain garden, near you.

Native ranges differ across the country — open your state for the list that actually applies to your yard.

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Sourcing

Where to find rain garden plants

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.