Rain Gardens
Posted by Jessie Jacobson on Jun 18th 2024
Rain Gardens
A rain garden is a perennial garden that collects rainwater from runoff, usually from a non-permeable surface such as a driveway, roof, patio, sidewalk, or street. Rain gardens allow storm water to return to the ground, reducing runoff and erosion, protecting landscapes, and keeping soil in place. Rain gardens also filter out pollutants while keeping grass and leaves from running into storm water drains and ultimately rivers, wetlands, and lakes. Rain gardens can absorb and process 30% more water than traditional turf lawns.
To plant a rain garden, identify a naturally low area in your yard, an area where you notice water naturally flows. Downhill from paved surfaces or where your roof downspout pours out are great places to start. You can even bury a down spot extender to pull water away from the house. Avoid places where standing water collects as this indicates saturated soils that are slow to absorb. Place away from buildings and structures to avoid the possibility of water seeping into foundations.
Planting native plants, when possible, in your rain garden is ideal. These plants are well adapted to tolerate short periods of drought, sit in standing water, and their deep root systems guide water down into the soil. Traditional turf grasses have root systems that reach depths of about 6 inches while those of the native plants and grasses can have roots reaching to 8 feet deep.
Let’s check out some plants!
Plants for Full Sun Rain Gardens
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)
An upright ornamental grass whose foliage emerges blue, develops pink and burgundy hues in late summer, and turns a deep copper in the late summer. Purple panicles develop into tan seed heads in the fall and are a great food source for birds!
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed
An herbaceous perennial with tidy green foliage and showy, pinkish-red flowers that give way to attractive seed pods in the fall. Native to North America. Tolerates swampy and wetland conditions. A must-have for pollinator-friendly gardens and monarch butterfly habitat.
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
An herbaceous perennial with fiery red, orange, and yellow flowers that are a favorite of pollinators. Ideal for pollinator gardens, meadows, and sunny borders.
Rudbeckia hira (Black-Eyed Susan)
An easy-care herbaceous perennial with bright gold, daisy-like flowers with black centers and dark green foliage. Very tolerant of heat and humidity. Wonderful in native wildflower gardens.
Liatris (Blazing Star)
An herbaceous perennial with bright pink flower spikes. Excellent all over the garden, from native gardens to borders. Great for cut flower arrangements.
Geum (Prairie Smoke)
An herbaceous perennial that is native to the northern U.S. and Canada. Pink star-shaped flowers create a gauzy effect when setting seed that resembles smoke. Excellent for pollinators and works well in naturalized areas and even en masse as a groundcover.
Plants for Part-Sun Rain Gardens
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
An herbaceous perennial with tall, bright red flower spikes that bloom in late summer. Great for attracting pollinators. Needs constant moisture which makes it an excellent choice for rain gardens and near ponds and streams. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia)
TextAn herbaceous perennial with tall, light blue flower spikes that bloom in late summer. Great for attracting pollinators. Needs constant moisture which makes it an excellent choice for rain gardens and near ponds and streams.
Chelone (Turtlehead)
An herbaceous perennial with serrated, dark green foliage and spikes of pink, snapdragon-like flowers that appear in late summer. Excellent for a pop of color in shady areas.
Sporabolus heterolepsis (Prairie Dropseed)
A fine-textured ornamental grass with light green blades that shift to a deep copper-gold in the fall and airy light brown panicles. Care-free and attractive accent or groundcover. Attracts birds.
Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed)
TextAn herbaceous perennial with reddish green foliage and bright pink, dome-shaped flowers that bloom from late summer to early fall. Can reach up to 6’ tall! Excellent for meadows, native gardens, and stream banks.
Polemonium (Jacob’s Ladder)
An herbaceous perennial with bright green leaves with white variegation and violet-blue flowers. Blooms in mid to late spring. Great for shady beds, borders, and containers.
Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern)
An herbaceous perennial with delicate light green foliage on vivid red-violet stems. More compact than other varieties of fern. Excellent as part of a shady woodland garden.
Adiantum pedantum (Maidenhair fern)
A cold-hardy herbaceous perennial with distinctive, fan-shaped green foliage on shiny black stems. Excellent as part of a shady woodland garden.
Ligularia (Leopard Plant/Ragwort)
An herbaceous perennial with mounds of heart-shaped, dark green foliage and yellow-orange, daisy-like flowers. Does well in beds and borders. Useful in rain gardens.
Small Trees and Shrubs for Rain Gardens
Amelanchier (Serviceberry)
Birds love the plum-colored berries of Amelanchier spp. Known for four-season interest, serviceberry have white showy flowers in the spring and brilliant orange and yellow fall color.
Cornus spp. (Red or Yellow Dogwood)
A deciduous, compact shrub with lush green foliage and a neat, rounded shape. Bare red stems provide striking color in the winter landscape. Excellent for mass planting, foundation planting, erosion control. Plant in full to part sun.
Newer, more compact varieties of dogwood offer easy maintenance and structure to a rain garden. Variegated varieties add interest to the garden while all have beautifully colored stems to enjoy all winter long.
Prunus virginiana (Chokecherry)
This tough, hardy, ornamental deciduous tree bears masses of white flowers in the spring. Later in the summer, small dark purple cherries emerge. Fruits can be used to make jams and jellies. Gorgeous coppery, bark shimmers in winter light. This pollinator favorite also attracts songbirds who delight in a fruity snack.
Physocarpus (Ninebark)
A stunning deciduous shrub native to North America. Ninebark generally grow four to nine feet tall and wide depending on variety and providing incredible four-season interest in the garden.
Betula nigra(River Birch)
This easy, fast-growing tree prefers medium to wet soils. Drooping flowers, or catkins, appear in spring followed by dark green toothy leaves which turn yellow in fall. Known for its salmon-pink to reddish brown bark that peels to reveal an inner light-colored bark adds interest to bleak winter landscapes. An excellent choice for landscapes with low wet areas and along ponds or streams.
Take Care!
When caring for your rain garden during the first year, make sure to water often and water well. Newly planted perennials need at least 1 inch of water per week, and we can’t always count on a precipitation event to give a good soaking. Rain gardens require little maintenance once established.
Not only are rain gardens effective as water collection and infiltration sites, but they also serve as habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects. Make sure to care for the plants in this or any garden with pollinators in mind.
For further resources about planning and planting your rain garden, check out Blue Thumb, a Minnesota organization promoting native plants, raingardens, shoreline stabilization, and turf alternatives to reduce runoff and improve water quality. The University of Minnesota Extension Website is also a great resource for plant lists and more!