Rain Garden Plants
These plants work well for creating beautiful and functional rain gardens. They can also be planted to help absorb excess moisture in low-lying areas, or included in moist borders.
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Common Name: Red Maple... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Sugar Maple
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Common Name: Maidenhair Fern
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Common Name: Serviceberry / Shadbush
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Common Name: Indigo BushIndigo Bush, Amorpha fruticosa, is a loose shrub with fine textured, fragrant foliage. Brilliant purple spikes of flowers cover the foliage from April to June. Amorpha fruticosa makes a great native substitute for Butterfly Bush and is great in spots... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: (Photinia pyriflolia) Red Chokeberry
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Common Name: Wild Ginger / Canadian Wildginger
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Common Name: Swamp Milkweed
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Common Name: Lady FernHandsome crowns of feathery fronds are typical of Lady Ferns. Delicate and lacy with arching fronds and feathery texture, Athyrium filix-femina is a strong-growing and dependable garden plant. Tough and easy to grow, this beauty is the right choice f... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: River BirchRiver Birch is a vigorous, fast-growing tree with layers of cinnamon, salmon and brown bark peeling back in big sheets to reveal creamy white inner bark. It can be grown as either a single trunk or multi-stemmed tree and is especially effective when ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Marsh MarigoldOne of the first plants to bloom in spring with bright yellow flowers held above mounds of glossy green leaves. Marsh marigold lights up moist areas and will grow as a water plant, in boggy areas, or in constantly moist garden soil. Plants may coloni... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Tussock SedgeTussock sedge grows in 2-3' tall clumps about 2' wide. As old leaves die, they build up around the living plant, making a "tussock" or little hill. It grows in or near water and spreads by rhizomes to make new clumps. As new tussocks form, they trap ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: ButtonbushHundreds of tiny, tubular creamy white flowers are packed into large showy flower heads, which dangle from the bush in August. Butterflies and other insects find the nectar irresistible. The fragrant flower heads mature into round fruits each contain... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Eastern RedbudLeafless horizontal branches are smothered in small deep pink flowers in early spring. Its early nectar and pollen attracts a large number of specialized native bees and butterflies such as elfins. Red-purple, pea-shaped seedpods follow the flowers. ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: TurtleheadDense spikes of white flowers (which take their common name from their distinct shape) are a welcome sight in late summer and early fall. Deep green foliage is handsome all season long. This is the main larval food for the Baltimore checkerspot butte... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Grancy Graybeard / White Fringetree
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Common Name: Summer Sweet Bush / Sweet Pepper Bush
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Common Name: Gray DogwoodGray twig dogwood is a deciduous shrub bearing dome-shaped clusters of white flowers in late spring. The flowers give way to clusters of small white berries and the stems holding the flowers and fruit are licorice red which makes a distinct contrast.... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Red-Osier DogwoodRed-Osier Dogwood is a fast-growing, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with cherry red winter stems. The stems are especially showy against a snowy backdrop. Tiny white flowers appear in flat-topped clusters in late spring. Flowers give way to clusters ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Fringed Bleeding HeartLong-blooming, nodding, heart-shaped flowers and deeply cut, fern-like, gray-green, foliage make this an exceptionally handsome plant. It mixes well with other shade loving natives such as columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Jacob's ladder (Polemonium ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Mist Flower / Hardy Ageratum
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Common Name: Joe Pye WeedBig clusters of mauve-pink flowers are almost always covered with butterflies. Keep your camera handy because it's common to see two or three different types of butterflies dining at one time. Whorled leaves on sturdy stems make this plant attractive... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Oxeye SunflowerOxeye daisy seed is a prime source of food for songbirds in winter. This mid-summer bloomer has deep golden yellow flowers with mahogany centers topping dark red stems and red-tinged foliage. This is a stunning native selection with outstanding wi... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Rose MallowThis shrub-like perennial is a vigorous grower with large leaves and 4-5" wide flowers ranging from pink to white. The flowers last only for one day, but there are many of them and they bloom consistently until the end of the season. Benefits: ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: InkberryInkberry has a broad upright habit and holds its foliage at the base of the plant. This evergreen holly tolerates heat, drought, sun, shade and transplanting and grows exceptionally well in urban areas. It is pest and disease resistant. Flowers give... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: WinterberryWinterberry is a deciduous holly that is slow growing, with an upright-rounded habit. In the wild, it often suckers to form large thickets or colonies but can be pruned to form a small tree. Inconspicuous greenish-white flowers appear in late spring ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: BlueflagVery robust, dramatic display of boldly veined, sword-like leaves with large, violet-blue flowers. This is a great plant beside a pond in the transition area between water and land. Benefits: [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Virginia SweetspireFragrant, white flower spikes, 3-6" long, cover the shrub with bloom in early summer. Dark green leaves turn scarlet and crimson in fall, sometimes persisting on the shrub until December. Benefits: [ More Info ]
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Common Name: SpicebushThis is a wonderful broad, rounded multi-stemmed shrub covered with fragrant yellow flowers in early spring. The flowers open before the leaves emerge and are held close to the branches. Aromatic light green leaves turn yellow-gold in fall. Birds fee... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Cardinal FlowerBrilliant red spikes set against green and purple bronze colored foliage. Each individual spike of scarlet flowers opens from bottom to top and stays in bloom for several weeks. Hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies love the nectar. Benefits: ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Sweetbay MagnoliaSweetbay Magnolia is a vigorous grower with a distinctly upright growth habit and lemon-scented, creamy white flowers bloom well after the last frost. Plants flower heavily in mid-spring then continue sporadically through summer. The foliage is shin... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Bee balmBee balm is a tall, vigorous, long blooming bee balm with enormous red blooms and fragrant foliage. Perfect for the back of any planting, it provides nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds, seed for birds and cover for wildlife. Removing old flower... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Black GumBlack gum is a stately, slow-growing, deciduous tree with a straight trunk and rounded crown (more pyramidal when young). Small, greenish-white flowers appear in spring and are not showy, but they are an excellent nectar source for honey bees, native... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: SwitchgrassA clump-forming grass that grows 4-5' tall with flower heads rising another 1' above the foliage. Flower heads turn beige in fall with the seed plumes persisting well into winter. This bunch grass provides excellent cover and food for ducks, upland g... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Tall White BeardtongueBeautiful, lettuce-like, leaves give rise to thick spikes of white flowers. Butterflies visit the flowers for nectar and songbirds such as cardinals and goldfinch eat ripe seed from the flower stems in fall and winter. Benefits: [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Woodland PhloxLoose clusters violet-blue, sweetly fragrant flowers appear on compact plants in spring, providing nectar for butterflies early in the season. Plants will spread and can form large colonies over time. Mingles well with other shade plants such as foa... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Meadow PhloxDark pink flower heads top of sturdy stems with thick, glossy leaves. Meadow phlox blooms earlier than tall phlox (Phlox paniculata), has darker green leaves and better mildew resistance. Fragrant flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Bene... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Summer PhloxSummer Phlox has heads of pink flowers accented by darker pink centers. The individual flowers are packed into 6-12" long pyramidal clusters atop stiff, upright stems that seldom need staking. Long mid- to late summer bloom sometimes extends into ear... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Obedient PlantStiff, square stems end in dense spikes of pure white, snapdragon-like flowers, which bloom throughout the summer. Benefits: [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Jacob's LadderPale lavender blue, bell-shaped flowers bloom for many weeks in late spring. Foliage provides good contrast to other shade plants and combines well with purple Heucheras and deep green ferns.... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Solomon's SealBell-shaped green-white flowers dangle down from knee-high arching stems in May. The flowers give way to blue-black berries later in summer and the foliage turns gold in fall. Plants spread slowly by creeping rhizomes, forming handsome stands. Ben... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Swamp White OakSwamp white oak is a deciduous tree with a broad, rounded crown. The dark, shiny green leaves are silver on the bottom side. Fall color is usually yellow, but sometimes reddish purple. Though ornamentally insignificant, flowers bloom in April attract... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Swamp AzaleaThis deciduous azalea blooms in summer. The abundant white flowers have a spicy, clove-like fragrance that fills the garden. The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Plants grow into multi-stemmed shrubs that put on a show in fall with their... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Lyre-leaf SageShowy flowers grow 1224" tall and bloom with lavender blue, nectar-rich flowers in spring. The American Goldfinch and other songbirds go for the seed in summer and early fall. Benefits: [ More Info ]
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Common Name: ElderberryAmerican elderberry is a thicket-forming shrub with large flat-topped clusters of small, fragrant white flowers in spring. The flowers are a good source of nectar for small insects. Big clusters of dark purple to black, berry-like fruits follow in l... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Blue-eyed GrassBright blue, star-shaped flowers with gold centers rise above fine, semi-evergreen, iris-like foliage from May to June. Use it at the front of a border, in rock gardens, to line pathways or at the woodland's edge. Excellent for edging. Benefits: ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: GoldenrodA lacy dome of golden flowers looks like exploding fireworks providing nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies in early fall. Benefits: [ More Info ]
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Common Name: FoamflowerThis dainty but tough groundcover performs well amongst tree roots in shaded areas. Masses of tiny white flowers appear in airy racemes in spring for 6 weeks. The flowers seem to float above the foliage and blend beautifully with other native species... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Highbush BlueberryClusters of dainty, waxy, bell-shaped, white flowers bloom in spring. Flowers are followed by tasty blue berries, which ripen in summer. The fruit is a favorite among humans as well as birds, small mammals and box turtles. Benefits: [ More Info ]
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Common Name: New York IronweedA fluffy haze of deep purple flowers is often covered by a parade of butterflies in late summer. Other beneficial insects feed on the nectar and the pollen. This lovely clumping native adapts well to any moist to normal soil. Benefits: [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Culver's RootCulver's root is a graceful perennial typically reaching 4-6' tall when in bloom. Slender flower spikes are densely packed with small white flowers that open from the top down in mid-summer. Butterflies and other pollinators visit the flowers for nec... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: ArrowwoodFlat-topped clusters of white flowers, 4" across, bloom in spring. The flowers are a good source of nectar for butterflies, native bees and other pollinators. Flowers give way to blue-black, berries, which are loved by birds and other wildlife. This ... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: WitherodViburnum nudum has fragrant white flowers arranged in flat-topped clusters April-May. The flowers provide nectar for butterflies, native bees and other pollinators. Flowers are followed by clusters of rounded berries that change color as they ripen f... [ More Info ]
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Common Name: Blackhaw ViburnumBlackhaw is a large, upright, multi-stemmed, densely twiggy deciduous shrub that can be pruned to grow as a small tree. Creamy white flowers in flat-topped clusters to 4.5" across appear in spring. Flowers provide nectar for butterflies, native bees ... [ More Info ]
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