European Rain Garden Plants
Herbaceous Plants
Scientific Name | Common Name | Height | Color | Bloom Time | Wet | Moist | Mesic | Dry | Notes |
Aruncus dioicus | Goatsbeard | 1.5 m | White | Jul-Aug | X | X | Sun/shade | ||
Caltha palustris | Marsh marigold | 30 cm | Yellow | Apr-May | X | X | Sun/shade | ||
Cardamine armara | 40 cm | White | Apr-Jun | X | X | Sun | |||
Cardamine pratensis | Cuckoo flower | 30 cm | Lilac | Apr-May | X | X | Sun | ||
Equiseturn hyemale | Horsetail | 60 cm | X | X | Sun/partial shade | ||||
Eupatorium cannabinum | Hemp agrimony | 1.0 m | Pink | Jul-Aug | X | X | |||
Filipendula ulmaria | Meadow-sweet | 1.0 m | White | Jul-Aug | X | X | Sun | ||
Fritillaria meleagris | Snake's head fritillary | 0.2 m | Pink | Apr-May | X | Sun | |||
Geum rivale | Water avens | 30 cm | Pink | May-Jun | X | ||||
Gladiolus palustris | 0.5 m | Pink | Jul-Aug | X | X | Sun | |||
Iris pseudacorus | Yellow flag | 1.0 m | Yellow | Jun-Jul | X | X | X | ||
Leucojum aestivum | Summer snowflake | 0.5 m | White | May-Jun | X | ||||
Lychnis flos-cuculi | Ragged robin | 40 cm | Pink | May-Jun | X | X | Sun | ||
Lysimachia nummularia | Golden creeping Jenny | 5 cm | Yellow | Jun-Jul | X | X | Partial shade | ||
Lysimachia punctata | Yellow loosestrife | 90 cm | Yellow | Jun-Jul | X | X | |||
Lythrum salicaria | Purple loosestrife | 80 cm | Purple | Jul-Aug | X | X | X | Can be very invasive | |
Lythrum virgatum | Purple loosestrife | 1.0 m | Purple | Jul-Aug | X | X | |||
Matteuccia struthiopteris | Shuttlecock fern | 70 cm. | X | X | Partial shade | ||||
Mentha aquatica | Water mint | 50 cm | Purple | Jun-Jul | X | X | Sun | ||
Myosotis palustria | Water forget-me-not | 40 cm | Blue | May-Jul | X | X | Sun/partial shade | ||
Osmunda regalis | Royal fern | 1.5 m | X | X | |||||
Persicaria bistorta | Bisort | .5 m | Pink | May-June | X | X | X | Sun/partial shade | |
Petasites hybridus | Butterbur | .5 m | Pink | Mar-Apr | X | X | Sun/partial shade | ||
Primula vulgaris | Primrose | 10 cm | Yellow | Mar-Apr | X | X | Shade | ||
Symphytum caucasicum | Comfrey | 90 cm | Blue | May-Jun | X | X | Sun/shade | ||
vigorous | |||||||||
Telekia speciosa | 2.0 m | Yellow | Jul-Sep | X | X | ||||
Thalictrum aquilegifolium | Meadow rue | 90 cm | Cream | May-Jul | X | X | Sun/partial shade | ||
Trollius europaeus | Globe flower | 40 cm | Yellow | May-Jun | X | X | Sun/partial shade | ||
Veronica beccabunga | Brooklime | 0.3 m | Blue | Jun-Jul | X | X | Sun | ||
Veronica longifolia | Longleaf speedwell | 1.0 m | Blue | Jul-Sep | X | X | X | Sun |
Grasses
Name | Common name | Height | Bloom | Wet time | Moist | Mesic | Dry | Notes |
Deschampsia cespitosa | Tufted hair grass | 1.0 m | Jun-Jul | X | X | Sun/shade | ||
Glyceria maxima | Reed sweet grass | 1.0 m | Jul | X | X | Sun | ||
Juncus effusus | Soft rush | 60 cm | Jun-Aug | X | X | Sun | ||
Juncus inflexus | Hard rush | 60 cm | Jun-Aug | X | X | Sun | ||
Molinia caerulea | Purple moor grass | 60 cm | X | X | Sun |
Shrubs
Name | Common name | Height | Color | Bloom time | Wet | Moist | Mesic | Dry |
Cornus sanguinea | Dogwood | M | White | Apr | X | X | X | |
Corylus avetlana | Hazel | L | X | X | ||||
Frangula alnus | Alder buckthorn | L | X | X | ||||
Ribes nigrum | Blackcurrant | M | Green | Apr | X | X | X | |
Salix caprea | Goat Willow | L | X | X | X | X | ||
Salix cinerea | Sallow | L | X | X | ||||
Salix purpurea | Purple willow | L | X | X | X | |||
Salix viminalis | Osier | L | X | X | ||||
Viburnum opulus | Guelder rose | M | White | May-Jun |
Trees
Scientific Name | Common Name | Height | Wet | Moist | Mesic | Dry |
Alnus cordata | Italian alder | M | X | X | ||
Alnus glutinosa | Common alder | M | X | X | X | |
Alnus incana | Speckled alder | M | X | X | X | |
Betula pubescens | Downy birch | M | X | X | ||
Populus tremula | Aspen | M | X | X | ||
Prunus padus | Bird cherry | S | X | X | ||
Salix alba | White willow | L | X | X | ||
Salix fragilis | Crack willow | L | X | X |