Native Plants

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Thursday - November 09, 2006

From: Collin County, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Rain Gardens
Title: Native plants for rain garden in Collin Co., TX
Answered by: Nan Hampton and Andrea DeLong-Amaya

QUESTION:

I am developing a Collin County Master Gardener’s program on Rain Gardens (in particular) and Rain Harvesting (generally.) I saw the recent article in your magazine about rain gardens and wondered if you have recommendations for plants for rain gardens in north Texas?

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. Here are suggestions for several ornamental native species that meet those criteria and that all occur in, or very near, Collin County, Texas.

GRASSES/GRASS-LIKE:

Bushy bluestem, Andropogon glomeratus
Gulf muhley, Muhlenbergia capillaris
Eastern gamagrass, Tripsacum dactyloides
Sedges, Carex sp. (e.g., Meadow sedge, C. perdentata)

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

TALL HERBACEOUS:

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

LOW HERBACEOUS:

Meadow violet, Viola sororia
Phyla sp. (e.g., Texas frogfruit, P. nodiflora)
Hydrocotyle sp. (e.g., Water pennywort, H. umbellata
Water clover, Marsilea vestita