Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Thursday - January 15, 2015

From: Columbus, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Rain Gardens, Planting, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs
Title: plants for a rain garden's moist area in Central Texas
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

I am looking for local natives to plant in the wet portion of a rain garden/bioswale. Can you help, please?

ANSWER:

You have a wide choice of native plants suitable for a rain garden.  Which ones to choose depends mainly on whether the wet part of your garden remains wet all the time or whether, as in most rain gardens, it dries up part of the time.  A good place to select species based on their need for water is a website sponsored by the city of Austin. Listed there are species that require constant water and those that can thrive in dry or wet conditions.  Another criterion is plant size.  Assuming that you have a relatively small rain garden and need small plants, I suggest a few possibilities that do well in dry or wet soil, beginning with the smallest ones.  Hydrocotyle bonariensis (Largeleaf pennywort)Phyla nodiflora (Texas frogfruit)Teucrium canadense (Canada germander)Conoclinium coelestinum (Blue mistflower)Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)Physostegia intermedia (Intermediate false dragonhead)Justicia americana (American water-willow)Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower) and Helenium autumnale (Common sneezeweed).  Grasses are very important in absorbing water.  Consider Muhlenbergia reverchonii (Seep muhly)Andropogon glomeratus (Bushy bluestem)Muhlenbergia capillaris (Gulf muhly)Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern gamagrass)Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) and Muhlenbergia lindheimeri (Lindheimer's muhly).  For the wetter spots, you could plant sedges, such as Rhynchospora latifolia (Sand-swamp whitetop sedge) and Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge).

Check out your local plant nurseries for the species you decide on.  Seeds of some of the plants are also available from Native American Seed.  Your best chances for success are to get the plants or seeds in the ground before hot weather arrives.  Thank you for your efforts to conserve water.

 

 

From the Image Gallery


Eastern red columbine
Aquilegia canadensis

Texas frogfruit
Phyla nodiflora

Common sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale

American germander
Teucrium canadense

Spring obedient plant
Physostegia intermedia

Cherokee sedge
Carex cherokeensis

Eastern gamagrass
Tripsacum dactyloides

Seep muhly
Muhlenbergia reverchonii

Bushy bluestem
Andropogon glomeratus

Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis

More Shrubs Questions

What about the brown dots on my Silver sage?
June 27, 2008 - During the past year, the leaves on my silver sage bushes around the perimeter of the front of my house have turned yellow in places and there are tiny brown dots on virtually all of the leaves. If I ...
view the full question and answer

Problems with evergreen sumac in San Antonio
May 03, 2012 - I planted 5 5-gallon (approximately 2 feet tall) evergreen sumac in early January. Since that time they have sprouted out new shoot with new leaves several times - every time the leaves have wilted a...
view the full question and answer

Blueberries in Arlington TX
August 25, 2009 - Which wild or native blueberries can I grow in Arlington Texas? I think it is zone 8?
view the full question and answer

Rose bush varieties and time to plant from Hutto TX
October 31, 2013 - What rose bush varieties are recommended for the Hutto Texas area and what time of year is the best time to plant into ground? Thank you.
view the full question and answer

Plants for soil with basalt outcroppings in Idaho
March 30, 2008 - We have basalt (lava) outcropping in part of our back yard and know we'll have to search for pockets of soil in which to plant. Any suggestions about what trees or shrubs would have a chance in thes...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.