Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, for clay and loam ground, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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Washington, D.C. · Zone 7
Native Rain Garden Plants in Washington, D.C.
Moisture-loving natives for rain gardens, pond edges, downspout basins, and the low spots that stay soggy after a storm. Every species here is genuinely native to Washington, D.C. and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Washington, D.C.'s humid, four-season climate across Northern Piedmont & Potomac fall line, not a generic list. Local standouts include Buttonbush and Spotted Joe-Pye Weed. A rain garden catches roof and driveway runoff and lets it soak in instead of rushing to the storm drain, and these natives are built for that boom-and-bust of flood then dry. Put the most water-tolerant species in the wet center and the merely moisture-loving ones up on the sloped edges. Once established they handle both the standing water and the dry weeks between storms.
The plants
26 native species for Washington, D.C.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, mauve-pink flowers, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, cold-hardy to zone 3, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, good through zone 8, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, royal purple flowers, where it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, hardy in zones 3–8, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, hardy in zones 4–9, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, happy in clay and loam soil, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, white, red berries flowers, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, for clay and loam ground, where it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 2–4 ft wide, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, spreading 2–3 ft, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, deep blue flowers, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, hardy in zones 3–8, where it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, cold-hardy to zone 3, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, sky blue flowers, where it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, happy in clay and loam soil, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 3–5 ft tall, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, reaching 6–12 ft, where it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 5–10 ft wide, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 4–8 ft wide, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, reaching 6–12 ft, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, happy in clay and loam soil, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
2 more also qualify: Switchgrass, Cinnamon Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Washington, D.C.
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
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