Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, good through zone 9, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Florida · Zones 8–11
Native Rain Garden Plants in Florida
Moisture-loving natives for rain gardens, pond edges, downspout basins, and the low spots that stay soggy after a storm. For Florida, the right natives are shaped by Florida flatwoods, scrub & subtropical south and a subtropical to tropical, wet summers climate. Every species below, from Scarlet Beebalm and New England Aster to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Florida and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–11. 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.
The plants
24 native species for Florida
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–11 · see this collection in other states.
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, royal purple flowers, where it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, good through zone 8, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 5–10 ft tall, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, for clay and loam ground, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, reaching 5–8 ft, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 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
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, white, red berries flowers, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, reaching 4–7 ft, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, for clay and loam ground, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, spreading 12–18 in, where it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, cold-hardy to zone 3, where it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, spreading 1.5–2 ft, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 2–4 ft tall, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, magenta flowers, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, good through zone 9, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, cold-hardy to zone 4, where it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, spreading 2–3 ft, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, creamy umbels flowers, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
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
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, for sand, clay, and loam ground, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 3–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Florida
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome 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.