Rain Garden Plants

A rain garden is a shallow depression planted to catch runoff from a roof, driveway, or lawn and let it soak in rather than run to the storm drain. It has to handle both extremes: standing water for a day or two after a heavy rain, and ordinary dry spells in between. Plants that only tolerate constant moisture will not do. The species below take that swing. In practice a rain garden is planted in zones — the wettest species at the low center, more adaptable ones on the slopes and rim — so check each plant's moisture range before placing it. Deep-rooted perennials and sedges do the real work here, opening channels in the soil that keep the basin draining over time.