Let it Rain! Planting a rain garden is an effective way to take up water in areas where it tends to accumulate. This large rain garden starter kit will provide you with a collection of 25 plants that have long, thirsty roots which will help you to manage those low, wet areas in your landscape.
This kit will also provide beautiful flowers in a range of colors that will offer good nectar and pollen for pollinators from July-September. They are all fine in full sun to partially shady conditions.
For more information about rain gardens, see: Rain Gardens (City of Ann Arbor)
Design and Planting Tips:
- Allow at least 1 sq ft for each plant in your garden plot, ex: 5' x 5', or
- Prepare your garden site (follow the link for details as well as information about plant spacing)
- A location with full sun to partial shade
- All plants selected have deep roots and will grow in damp conditions
- Group plants of the same species together
- Consider the height of each plant. Position taller plants at the back and shorter plants at the front
Kit Contents:
10 varieties, with 2 or 3 of each (25 total plants), all listed below with details. An image of each plant can be found to the left, pictured in the order listed:
2- Beebalm
2- Cup Plant
2- Early (False) Sunflower
2- Marsh Blazing Star
2- Rose/Swamp Milkweed
2- Sky Blue Aster
2- Southern Blue Flag Iris
Beebalm or Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Dry to Medium-Wet
Soil Type: Thrives in a wide range of soils: acid to lime, rich to poor, sand to clay
Height: 4'
Bloom Time: July through September
Bloom Color: Lavender, pink
Resistance: Deer, Drought, Black Walnut
Attracts: Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, birds
Pollinator Benefits: Excellent nectar source
Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist, Wet
Soil Type: Wet to mesic soils. Will tolerate clay soil.
Height: 3'-6'
Bloom Time: July-September
Bloom Color: Yellow
Resistance: Drought
Attracts: Butterflies, Bees, Hummingbirds, other birds for seeds and water
Pollinator Benefits: good for all bee types; provides nesting material for native bees; good nectar plant
Early (False) Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
Sun Exposure - Full, Partial
Soil Moisture - Medium-wet, Medium, Medium-dry, Dry
Height - 5'
Bloom time - June-September
Bloom Color - Yellow
Tolerance - Drought, poor soils
Attracts - Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Pollinator Benefits - Xerces Society rates as good for beneficial insects
Marsh Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Moist, Medium, Medium-Dry
Height: 2'
Bloom Time: August-September
Bloom Color: purple
Resistant: Deer
Attracts: Butterflies, bees
Pollinator benefits: especially good for native bees; good nectar plant
Rose Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Wet, Medium-Wet, Medium
Height: 4'
Bloom Time: June, July, August
Bloom Color: Pink
Resistance: Deer
Attracts: butterflies, bees, hummingbirds
Pollinator Benefits: Larval Host for Monarch and Queen butterflies; excellent nectar source for other pollinators; Xerces Society identifies as Special Value to Native Bees and Bumble Bees
Sky Blue Aster (Symphyotichum oolentangiense)
Sun Exposure: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Soil Type: Mesic to dry, average soils.
Height: 1'-5'
Bloom Time: August - October
Bloom Color: Blue, Purple, Violet
Resistance: Drought,
Attracts: Butterflies, native bees, birds
Pollinator Benefit: Late season nectar source; value to native bees for pollen and nesting materials; supports migrating Monarchs
Keystone plant supporting over 177 different species!
Southern Blue Flag (Iris virginica)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Sun
Soil Moisture: Wet
Soil type: Moist, rich soil
Height: 2'
Bloom Time: May-June
Bloom Color: White, pink, blue
Resistance: Deer
Attracts: Birds, hummingbirds, butterflies, native bees