Native Plants

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Wednesday - March 07, 2007

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Rain Gardens
Title: Native Texas plants for rain gardens
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I am looking for native Texas plants that would do well in very shady and partial shade rain gardens. Do you have any suggestions?

ANSWER:

Rain garden plants need to be able to tolerate growing in standing water, but also need to be able to thrive when the water dries up. The plants below should meet those criteria and will do well in partial shade (2 to 6 hours sun per day). Plus, the violets (Viola soria) and groundnut (Apios americana) will do well in complete shade (<2 hours of sun per day):

GRASSES/GRASS-LIKE:

Inland sea oats, Chasmanthium latifolium
Eastern gamagrass, Tripsacum dactyloides

BUSHES/SMALL TREES:

Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
Roughleaf dogwood, Cornus drummondii
False indigo, Amorpha fruticosa
Marshmallow hibiscus, Hibiscus moscheutos
Scarlet rose mallow, Hibiscus laevis
Palmetto, Sabal minor
Baccharis, Baccharis halimifolia

VINES:

Groundnut, Apios americana

TALL HERBACEOUS:

American waterwillow, Justicia americana
Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis
Physostegia sp. (e.g., Obedient plant, P. intermedia)
Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
Blue water leaf, Hydrolea ovata
American germander, Teucrium canadense

LOW HERBACEOUS: