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Rain Gardens

Photo: Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange coneflower)

Rain gardens are a great way to reduce small-scale watering needs, minimize runoff, and re-create the natural absorption of water into the landscape. Despite being named for rain, these gardens face dry conditions regularly. Suitable plants need to withstand droughts as well as floods.

A wide variety of native perennials and shrubs are well suited to the extreme wet and dry conditions of rain gardens. We have extensive experience propagating these species, and we know what works. Reach out and we can provide you with species lists based on our current availability.

View our full catalog here

Acorus americanus "Sweet flag"

Acorus americanus

Sweet flag

Aesculus pavia "Red buckeye" in bloom

Red buckeye

Aesculus sylvatica "Painted buckeye" in bloom

Aesculus sylvatica

Painted buckeye

"加拿大唐棣 Amelanchier canadensis [上海辰山植物園 Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden]" by 阿橋花譜 KHQ Flower Guide is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse

Amelanchier canadensis

Serviceberry

Close up of of purple, long, spikey flowers rising above bisected leaves

Amorpha fruticosa

False indigo

Amsonia tabernaemontana in bloom

Amsonia tabernaemontana

Eastern bluestar

"Andropogon virginicus flowerhead3" by Macleay Grass Man is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

Andropogon virginicus

Broomsedge

Aronia arbutifolia "Choke cherry/Red chokeberry" in bloom

Aronia arbutifolia

Red chokeberry

Benthamidia florida "Flowering dogwood" in bloom

Benthamidia florida

Flowering dogwood

Callicarpa americana "American beautyberry"

Callicarpa americana

American beautyberry

Carex cherokeensis plugs

Carex cherokeensis

Cherokee sedge

Carex crinita "Fringed sedge"

Fringed sedge

Carex grayi "Gray's sedge"

Gray's sedge

Carex intumescens "Bladder sedge"

Carex intumescens

Bladder sedge

"Carex lupulina (Hop Sedge), Foster, RI" by Doug_McGrady is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

Hop sedge

Carex lurida "Shallow sedge"

Shallow sedge

Carex stricta "Tussock sedge/Upright sedge"

Tussock sedge

"File:Brown Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea) in wet meadow at the Morton Arboretum - Flickr - Jay Sturner (4).jpg" by Jay Sturner from USA is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

Carex vulpinoidea

Fox sedge

Cephalanthus occidentalis "Button bush"

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Button bush

Cercis canadensis "Red bud" in bloom

Cercis canadensis

Eastern redbud

frosty Chasmanthium latifolium "River oats" at Mellow Marsh

Chasmanthium latifolium

River oats

Chionanthus virginicus "Fringe tree/White fringe tree"

Chionanthus virginicus

Fringe tree

Clethra alnifolia "Sweet pepper bush"

Clethra alnifolia

Sweet pepper bush

"20200925 moth (noctuidae) on Blue Mist Flower (Conoclinium coelestinum)" by schizoform is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

Conoclinium coelestinum

Blue mistflower

"Tickseed / Coreopsis lanceolata / 大金鶏菊(おおきんけいぎく)" by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

Coreopsis lanceolata

Lance-leaf coreopsis

Pink, red, and green Cyrilla racemiflora (titi) leaves on 1-gallon Mellow Marsh plants in the fall

Cyrilla racemiflora

Titi

Echinacea purpurea "Purple coneflower" in bloom

Echinacea purpurea

Purple coneflower

"Elephantopus tomentosus" by Lauren McLaurin is licensed under CC BY 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?ref=openverse.

Elephantopus tomentosus

Elephant's-foot

Equisetum praealtum "Horsetail"

Equisetum praealtum

Horsetail

Eragrostis spectabilis "Purple lovegrass"

Eragrostis spectabilis

Purple lovegrass

Eryngium aquaticum blooming

Eryngium aquaticum

Marsh rattlesnakemaster

Eubotrys racemosus "Fetterbush/Swamp dog hobble" in bloom

Eubotrys racemosus

Swamp doghobble

Euonymus americanus "Strawberry bush"

Euonymus americanus

Strawberry bush

Eupatorium perfoliatum "Boneset" in bloom

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Boneset

"Eutrochium dubium (Willd. ex Poir.) E.E. Lamont" by Mark T. Strong and Carol L. Kelloff is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse

Eutrochium dubium

Coastal plain joe-pye weed

Eutrochium fistulosum "Trumpetweed/Joe-pye weed" in bloom

Eutrochium fistulosum

Trumpetweed/Joe-pye weed

Hamamelis virginiana "Witch hazel" gallons

Hamamelis virginiana

Witch hazel

Helenium autumnale "Bitterweed" in bloom

Helenium autumnale

Bitterweed

Helianthus angustifolius "Swamp sunflower" in bloom

Helianthus angustifolius

Swamp sunflower

Hibiscus coccineus "Scarlet rose mallow" in bloom

Hibiscus coccineus

Scarlet rose mallow

Hibiscus moscheutos "Rose mallow" in bloom

Hibiscus moscheutos

Marsh hibiscus/Rose mallow

Hypericum densiflorum "Bushy St. Johnswort"

Hypericum densiflorum

Bushy St. Johnswort

Ilex decidua "Possum haw"

Possum haw

Ilex glabra "Inkberry"

Inkberry

Ilex verticillata "Winterberry"

Ilex verticillata

Winterberry

Ilex vomitoria "Yaupon"

Yaupon

Iris virginica "Southern blue flag" in bloom

Southern blue flag

Itea virginica "Virginia sweetspire"

Virginia sweetspire

Marsh elder

"Juncus coriaceus left Juncus effusus right ncwetlands KG" by ncwetlands.org is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse

Juncus coriaceus

Leathery rush

Juncus effusus, Soft rush; growing by a pond

Soft rush

Kosteletzkya pentacarpos "Marsh mallow" in bloom

Kosteletzkya pentacarpos

Marsh mallow

"File:Leucothoe axillaris3.jpg" by KENPEI is marked with CC BY-SA 3.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/?ref=openverse

Leucothoe axillaris

Coastal doghobble

Liatris spicata "Blazing star" in bloom

Liatris spicata

Blazing star

"Raindrops on spicebush (Lindera benzoin) leaves. The water beads up like the lotus effect (like on lady's mantle)" by karen_hine is marked with CC PDM 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/?ref=openverse

Lindera benzoin

Spice bush

Lobelia cardinalis "Cardinal flower" in bloom

Lobelia cardinalis

Cardinal flower

Lobelia elongata "Blue lobelia" in bloom

Lobelia elongata

Blue lobelia

"20200426 Netted Chain Fern (Woodwardia areolata)" by schizoform is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

Lorinseria areolata

Netted chain fern

Lyonia lucida "Fetterbush" in bloom

Fetterbush

Monarda fistulosa "Wild bergamot" in bloom

Monarda fistulosa

Wild bergamot

Morella cerifera (Wax myrtle) berries in the fall

Morella cerifera

Wax myrtle

Morus rubra 1-gallon pots at Mellow Marsh

Red mulberry

Muhlenbergia capillaris "Hairawn muhly'

Muhlenbergia capillaris

Hairawn Muhly

Packera aurea "Golden groundsel" in bloom

Golden groundsel

Panicum virgatum "Switchgrass"

Panicum virgatum

Switchgrass

Physocarpus opulifolius "Ninebark" in bloom

Physocarpus opulifolius

Ninebark

Physostegia virginiana "Obedient plant"

Physostegia virginiana

Obedient plant

"File:Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides Leaf 2000px.JPG" by Photo (c)2006 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) is marked with CC BY-SA 2.5. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5?ref=openverse

Polystichum acrostichoides

Christmas fern

Rhododendron arborescens "Smooth azalea" in bloom

Rhododendron arborescens

Smooth/Sweet azalea

Rhododendron atlanticum "Dwarf azalea" in bloom

Rhododendron atlanticum

Dwarf azalea

"Rhododendron periclymenoides" by Mike Dupreee is marked with CC BY-ND 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/?ref=openverse

Rhododendron periclymenoides

Pink azalea

Rhynchospora colorata "White topped sedge" in bloom

Rhynchospora colorata

White topped sedge

Rosa palustris "Swamp rose"

Swamp rose

Rudbeckia fulgida "Orange coneflower" in bloom

Rudbeckia fulgida

Orange coneflower

Sabatia kennedyana "Plymouth rose" in bloom

Sabatia kennedyana

Plymouth rose-gentian

Schizachyrium scoparium "Little bluestem"

Schizachyrium scoparium

Little bluestem

Sisyrinchium angustifolium (blue-eyed grass) in bloom

Sisyrinchium angustifolium

Blue-eyed grass

"Solidago juncea - Early Goldenrod (?)" by FritzFlohrReynolds is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Solidago juncea

Early goldenrod

Solidago rugosa, Wrinkleleaf goldenrod

Solidago rugosa

Wrinkleleaf goldenrod

Solidago sempervirens "Seaside goldenrod"

Solidago sempervirens

Seaside goldenrod

Spiraea tomentosa

Spiraea tomentosa

Hardhack

Stokesia laevis "Stokes aster" in bloom

Stokesia laevis

Stokes aster

Styrax americanus flower

Styrax americanus

American snowbell

Swida amomum (Silky dogwood) blooming white with a bee on the flowers

Silky dogwood

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus "Coralberry"

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

Coralberry

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae "New England aster" in bloom

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

New England aster

"Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 2" by FritzFlohrReynolds is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Aromatic aster

"Tilia americana - American Basswood flowers" by Virens (Latin for greening) is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

Tilia americana

Basswood

"Purple-topped Grass - Tridens flavus, Occoquan Regional Park, Lorton, Virginia" by Judy Gallagher is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse

Purpletop tridens

Verbena hastata "Blue vervain" in bloom

Verbena hastata

Blue vervain

Vernonia noveboracensis "Ironweed" in bloom

Vernonia noveboracensis

Ironweed

Big white cluster of flowers subtended by green crinkly leaves

Viburnum dentatum

Arrow wood

Viburnum prunifolium "Black haw" in bloom

Viburnum prunifolium

Black haw

Xanthorhiza simplicissima "Yellow root"

Xanthorhiza simplicissima

Yellow root

Yucca filamentosa "Yucca" in bloom

Yucca filamentosa

Yucca