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Rain Garden Plants

Deep-rooted plants and the sunken profile of rain gardens help infiltrate stormwater runoff and reduce erosion. And rain gardens can be as beautiful as they are functional. In fact, many of our most beautiful regional plants need the type of regular moisture found in a rain garden to thrive.

Keep in mind that your rain garden, unlike a water garden, will be dry most of the time. Plants should be able to tolerate short periods of inundation, but not require constant standing water. Select plants with moderate moisture requirements for areas that will have moist, well-drained soil. For drier sites like the edge of your rain garden, use plant that have low or moderate moisture requirements. Perennial plants should be hardy in your growing zone. if you are not sure about your zone, see the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Save plants for your project by clicking the 'My Plant List' button on the plant's page. For help in making your selections, use our Find the Right Plant feature.

View All Types Annuals Only Butterfly Attracting Only Drought-Defiant Only Midwest Native Only Ornamental Grass Only Rain Gardens and Bioswales Only Salt-Tolerant Only Shade-tolerant Only Summer Color for Sunny Sites Only Trees & Shrubs Only Vines and Groundcovers Only Wetlands and Streambank Stabilization Only

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Hakonechloa macra ''Aureola'' Common Name: Golden Hakone Grass Graceful, arching leaves are variegated with green and bright yellow. Plants form glowing mounds that are elegant along the edge of a border or pathway or in a rock garden. Pale green flower spikes add interest in late summer.... [ More Info ]

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Halesia carolina Common Name: Carolina Silverbell Small native tree with white, bell-shaped spring flowers. Grows in full sun or partial shade.... [ More Info ]

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Hamamelis vernalis Common Name: Spring Witchhazel From late winter into early spring, this unique native shrub blooms when little else is flowering. The fragrant yellow flowers can persist for three to four weeks and may be clustered or solitary. Flowers are yellow to dark red in color and have four... [ More Info ]

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Hamamelis virginiana Common Name: Ozark Witchhazel Tall shrub or small tree with upright spreading branches that form an irregular crown. Witchhazel blooms with yellow, fragrant flowers that open in late fall or early winter. The flowers are a boon to migrating hummingbirds. The fall leaf color, deep... [ More Info ]

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Helenium autumnale Common Name: Sneezeweed Erect, clump-forming, native perennial which occurs in moist soils along streams, ponds or ditches. Typically grows three to five feet tall on rigid, distinctively winged stems which branch near the top. Features clusters of daisy-like flowers with d... [ More Info ]

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Helenium flexuosum Common Name: Purple-Head Sneezeweed The very dark-colored disk distinguishes Purple-Head Sneezeweed from other species of sneezeweed which have yellow-green disks. On all sneezeweeds, the yellow ray petals have three lobes which distinguish sneezeweeds from Black-eyed Susan and other y... [ More Info ]

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Helenium X Helbro ''Mardi Gras'' Common Name: Mardi Gras Sneezeweed Numerous multicolored blooms for six to eight weeks in summer, from late June to early August. Yellow petals, lavishly splashed with orange red, form wildly patterned stiff skirts around deep brown, mounded center cones.... [ More Info ]

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Helleborus foetidus Common Name: Bear's Paw Hellebores Unlike most hellebores that have separate stems for blooms and foliage, this species has blooms and foliage on the same stems. This unusual characteristic creates special winter interest when new chartreuse bloom stalks rise and bloom above elegant o... [ More Info ]

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Heuchera ''Rave On'' Common Name: Rave On Heuchera Produces more flowers than any other heuchera in trials. This plant blooms the heaviest in late spring, with masses of deep pink flowers on tall stems. The leaves are deep greenish purple with a very heavy silver overlay. Easy to grow and blends easi... [ More Info ]

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Heuchera micrantha ''Palace Purple'' Common Name: Palace Purple Coral Bells Unique deep purple foliage with dark red stems fade to bronzed green in hot summers. Small pink and white flowers bloom in spring and last into the summer.... [ More Info ]

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Hibiscus lasiocarpus Common Name: Rose Mallow Plants take shrub-like form and offer showy blooms in mid-summer for many weeks. The white or pink flowers have red centers and are four to five inches across.... [ More Info ]

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Hibiscus militaris Common Name: Rose Mallow Easy-to-grow plant that will bloom equally well in full sun or part shade, as long as soil is kept evenly moist. Flowers seem to hold their pink tinge better where not exposed to direct overhead at midday.... [ More Info ]

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Hibiscus moscheutos Common Name: Crimson-eyed Rose Mallow Multi-stemmed, shrub-like herbaceous perennial which dies back in winter and re-sprouts in spring. The leaves are velvety beneath and smooth on top. The flowers are about six inches across, with white or pink petals and crimson centers.... [ More Info ]

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Hosta ''Halcyon'' Common Name: Halcyon Hosta One of the best and most popular of the blue hosta cultivars. An erect plant that featuring a mound of flat, spear-shaped, heavily-textured, blue-green leaves and racemes of bell-shaped, pale lilac-blue flowers on 26" scapes.... [ More Info ]

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Hosta X ''Sum and Substance'' Common Name: Sum and Substance Hosta You can't beat Hostas as a carefree, enduring ground cover for shade, but certain varieties stand out on their own as specimen plants. One of the best is 'Sum and Substance', which forms huge mounds up to six feet across with deeply veined, chartreus... [ More Info ]

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Hydrangea arborescens Common Name: Wild Hydrangea These plants form rounded mounds and bloom in June with large clusters of flat, creamy white flowers that last for many weeks and can be used in dried flower arrangements. The flowers are pollen-rich and attract butterflies and other pollinators. G... [ More Info ]

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Hydrangea arborescens ''Hills of Snow'' Common Name: Hills of Snow Hydrangea A bold, dominant plant with spectacular creamy white bloom heads that last up to 2 months. Large, coarse, dark green leaves. Thrives in shade. Cut back each sring to keep blooms lower. Excellent in border, foundation, and mass plantings.... [ More Info ]

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Hydrangea arborescens ''Hayes Starburst'' Common Name: Hayes Starburst Hydrangea Beautiiful selection of the native Smooth Hydrangea. The flowers first open as typical white lacecaps but within days the outer florets double and form a starburst effect. Then the interior flowers also become double, forming a starburst effect. The ... [ More Info ]

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Hydrangea macrophylla ''Penny Mac'' Common Name: Penny Mac Hydrangea Extraordinary hydrangea that blooms on new wood with a tight growth habit. This 6 foot plant produces blue flowers in acidic soils and pink flowers in alkaline soils. Blooms consistently, even if the first buds are killed by a late frost.... [ More Info ]

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Hydrangea macrophylla ''Glowing Embers'' Common Name: Glowing Embers Hydrangea Ornamental shrub with large, lush crimson flowers. Compact habit with coarse foliage. Disease- and pest-resistant.... [ More Info ]

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Hydrangea macrophylla Bailmer ''Endless Summer'' Common Name: Endless Summer Hydrangea Blooms in spring and repeats through fall. This extremely cold hardy shrub will spice up any garden with the large mophead flowers. Blooms on old wood and current season growth, assuring every season will produce a spectacular show.... [ More Info ]

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Hydrangea quercifolia ''Snowflake'' Common Name: Snowflake Oakleaf Hydrangea Dramatic, white-blooming shrub with four seasons of interest. Deeply lobed foliage turns brilliant crimson in fall. It blooms best in areas where summers are somewhat hot, is winter hardy further north than the macrophylla (mophead) and can thrive in... [ More Info ]