Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, cold-hardy to zone 3, where it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
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- By state
- Mississippi
- Rain garden
Mississippi · Zones 7–9
Native Rain Garden Plants in Mississippi
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 Mississippi and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 7–9 — proven performers for Mississippi's hot, humid subtropical climate across Gulf Coastal Plain & Black Belt prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Virginia Bluebells 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
25 native species for Mississippi
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 7–9 · see this collection in other states.
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
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 Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, spreading 6–10 ft, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, white candelabra flowers, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 12–18 in wide, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, pink flowers, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, cold-hardy to zone 3, where it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
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 Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–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
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, spreading 2–3 ft, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, electric scarlet flowers, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 2.5–4 ft tall, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, cold-hardy to zone 3, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft, where it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, white pincushions flowers, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, reaching 5–10 ft, 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, cold-hardy to zone 4, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 6–12 ft tall, where it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 1.5–2.5 ft wide, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, spreading 6–12 ft, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, foamy white flowers, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
1 more also qualify: Cinnamon Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Mississippi
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.