The Rain Garden Starter Kit provides you with a collection of plants that have been identified as good selections for the uptake of water in a rain garden. They 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.
Each kit contains the following 23 plants:
6-Rose Milkweed
4-Yellow Cone Flower
2-Tall Thimbleweed
4- Cardinal Flower
2-Ironweed (4'-6')
2-Joe Pye (maculatum)
2- Riddell's Goldenrod
1- Prairie Dropseed
The plants are pictured in the listed order.
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 Benefit - 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
Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Perennial
Sun Exposure – Full, Partial
Soil Moisture - Medium, Medium-Dry
Height – 3-5ft
Bloom Time - July, August, September
Bloom Color – Yellow
Resistance - Deer
Attracts – Bees, Butterflies, Birds
Pollinator Benefit - special value to Native bees
Tall Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana)
Perennial
Sun Exposure - Full, Part Shade
Soil Moisture - Dry, Moist
Height – 2-3ft
Bloom Time - May-July
Bloom Color - White
Resistance - Drought
Attracts - Bees, butterflies
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Perennial
Sun Exposure – Full, Partial
Soil Moisture – Wet, Medium-wet
Soil - Moist to wet, humus-rich soil. Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Limestone-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Clay
Height – 4'
Bloom Time – July, August, September
Bloom Color – Red
Resistant – Deer, rabbit
Pollinator benefit - hummingbirds, butterflies, bees
Ironweed (Vernonia missurica)
Perennial
Sun Exposure - Sun
Soil Moisture - Medium to Wet
Height - 3'to 5'
Bloom Time - July - August
Bloom Color - Magenta purple
Tolerates - Deer, wet soil
Attracts: butterflies, bees
Pollinator benefit: good nectar source for all pollinators
Joe Pye (Eutrochium maculatum)
Perennial
Best when planted by September 30
Sun Exposure - Full, Partial
Soil Moisture - Wet, Medium-Wet
Height - 5'
Bloom Time - July, August, September
Bloom Color - Pink
Attracts: butterflies, bees, birds
Pollinator benefit: excellent honey source for honey bees, great for native bees; generous nectar for all nectaring insects
Riddell's Goldenrod (Solidago riddellii)
Perennial
Sun Exposure – Full Sun
Soil Moisture - Wet, Moist
Soil Type - Calcareous, Sand, Gravel
Height – 2'-3'
Bloom Time - August, September, October
Bloom Color – Yellow
Attracts – Butterflies, native bees, birds
Pollinator Benefit - Late season nectar source; value to native bees for pollen and nesting materials; migrating Monarchs
Prairie Dropseed (Sporobulus herolepis)
Perennial Grass
Sun Exposure – Full Sun
Soil Moisture - Dry
Soil Type - Dry soil
Height – 2'
Bloom Time - June-August
Bloom Color – pink, yellow, green, brown
Attracts – native bees
Pollinator benefit- Provides nesting materials/structure for native bees