Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, white spring lace flowers, where it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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- Pennsylvania
- Rain garden
Pennsylvania · Zones 5–7
Native Rain Garden Plants in Pennsylvania
Moisture-loving natives for rain gardens, pond edges, downspout basins, and the low spots that stay soggy after a storm. Every species here is genuinely native to Pennsylvania and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Pennsylvania's humid continental climate across Appalachian ridge-and-valley & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Serviceberry and Virginia Bluebells. 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
26 native species for Pennsylvania
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, for loam ground, where it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, reaching 6–10 ft, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, hardy in zones 4–9, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, good through zone 9, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, reaching 5–10 ft, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, hardy in zones 3–8, where it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 12–18 in wide, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, spreading 2–4 ft, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 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, 1–2 ft wide, where it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, hardy in zones 3–9, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, spreading 12–18 in, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
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
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 5–10 ft wide, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, cold-hardy to zone 3, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, violet-blue flowers, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, reaching 4–8 ft, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
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 May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 6–12 ft wide, where it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 2–3 ft wide, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 2–3 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
2 more also qualify: Big Bluestem, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Pennsylvania
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
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