Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, for clay and loam ground, where it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
- Home
- By state
- New Hampshire
- Rain garden
New Hampshire · Zones 3–6
Native Rain Garden Plants in New Hampshire
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 New Hampshire and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–6 — proven performers for New Hampshire's cool, humid continental climate across White Mountains & northern hardwoods, not a generic list. Local standouts include Golden Alexanders and Great Blue Lobelia. 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 New Hampshire
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–6 · see this collection in other states.
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, reaching 2–3 ft, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, for clay and loam ground, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 5–10 ft tall, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, scarlet red flowers, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 2–4 ft tall, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 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
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, for clay and loam ground, where it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, sky blue flowers, where it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 2–3 ft wide, where it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 2–4 ft wide, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, creamy white flowers, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, happy in clay and loam soil, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, mauve-pink flowers, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, chartreuse-gold flowers, where it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 2–3 ft wide, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, creamy umbels flowers, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, white to pink flowers, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, good through zone 9, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, for clay and loam ground, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, happy in clay and loam soil, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 2–3 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
1 more also qualify: Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New Hampshire
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.