Rain Garden Plants for Wet Spots and Runoff
A rain garden is a shallow planted basin that catches runoff from a roof, driveway or slope and lets it soak into the ground instead of rushing off your property. The plants do the work: deep roots open channels in the soil so water drains, and the foliage slows the flow. TN Nursery grows rain garden plants in Tennessee and ships them bare root nationwide.
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How a Rain Garden Works
Water that lands on hard surfaces has nowhere to go, so it runs fast, picks up whatever is on the pavement, and arrives somewhere downhill all at once. A rain garden interrupts that. Sited in a natural low spot or a dug basin a few inches deep, it holds runoff for a day or so while it soaks in. The soil filters the water on its way down and the groundwater gets recharged instead of the storm drain.
Planting a Rain Garden in Zones
A rain garden has three bands, and matching plants to each one is what makes it work. The basin floor stays wettest and suits plants that tolerate standing water for a day or two: blue flag iris, cardinal flower, soft rush and sedges. The slopes dry between rains and suit plants that take both wet and dry: Joe Pye weed, swamp milkweed, black-eyed Susan. The upper rim rarely floods at all and takes ordinary garden perennials. Browse wetland plants for the wettest band.
Plants That Do Double Duty
Many rain garden plants are also strong pollinator plants, so the basin becomes habitat as well as drainage. Cardinal flower draws hummingbirds to its red spikes in late summer. Swamp milkweed hosts monarch caterpillars and tolerates wet feet, which ordinary milkweed does not. Joe Pye weed pulls in butterflies by the dozen. See pollinator plants for more.
Building and Planting
Site the garden at least ten feet from a foundation and where runoff naturally travels. Dig the basin six to eight inches deep with gently sloping sides. Plant densely; close spacing shades out weeds and the combined root mass is what keeps water moving down through the soil.
Water through the first growing season even though the garden is designed for wet conditions, since new roots need steady moisture while they establish. After that, a well-built rain garden takes care of itself. See our planting instructions.
Rain Garden Questions
What plants work best in a rain garden?
Natives with deep roots that handle both wet and dry: blue flag iris, cardinal flower, swamp milkweed, Joe Pye weed, soft rush and sedges.
How deep should a rain garden be?
Six to eight inches for most yards, with sloping sides. It should drain within a day or two after rain.
How far from the house should a rain garden be?
At least ten feet from any foundation, and downhill from it, so water moves away from the structure.
Do rain gardens hold standing water?
Only briefly. A properly built rain garden drains within 24 to 48 hours.
When should I plant a rain garden?
Fall or early spring while plants are dormant, so roots establish before the heavy rains or summer heat.
TN Nursery has grown native plants in Tennessee since 1959. Every plant is guaranteed to arrive alive.
Buying rain garden plants online: what to know
Start with your zone. Every rain garden plant on this page shows the zones it thrives in, so one marked for your zone is ready for your winters and summers.
Plan for the grown-up rain garden plant
Check the mature height on each card before you choose a spot, so every rain garden plant has room to stretch as it grows.
Bare root, ready to plant
Bare root plants arrive freshly dug and packed ready for planting. Soak the roots, set the rain garden plant at the depth it grew, and water it in well. Most thrive in well-drained soil and a few inches of mulch.
Ask a grower
Want a second opinion? Call our growers at 931-692-4252, or read the warranty page to see how our live-arrival guarantee works.
Rain Garden Plants for sale: questions
Do you ship rain garden plants outside Tennessee?
Yes. We grow in Tennessee and ship nationwide.
How do the rain garden plants arrive?
Each product page says how it ships. Bare root plants arrive freshly dug and packed ready for planting.
Is there a guarantee?
Every order comes with our live-arrival guarantee. See the warranty page for the details.
How do I pick a rain garden plant for my zone?
Set your zone at the top of the page and turn on the zone switch. Every card shows the zones the rain garden plant thrives in.
Not sure which rain garden plant is right?
Talk to a grower at our Tennessee nursery. Tell us your zone and your yard, and we will help you choose a rain garden plant that thrives there.
Why buy rain garden plants from TN Nursery
Grown since 1959
A family-owned Tennessee nursery, growing plants for generations of gardeners.
Freshly dug, bare root
Dug and packed ready for planting, so roots settle in fast.
Shipped nationwide
We grow in Tennessee and ship nationwide.
Live-arrival guarantee
Every order comes with our live-arrival guarantee.
