Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
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 Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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- By state
- New Mexico
- Rain garden
New Mexico · Zones 4–8
Native Rain Garden Plants in New Mexico
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 Mexico and the wider flora of the desert Southwest and hardy through zones 4–8 — proven performers for New Mexico's arid, high-elevation sun climate across Chihuahuan desert & Southern Rockies, not a generic list. Local standouts include Golden Alexanders and Cardinal Flower. 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
19 native species for New Mexico
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–8 · see this collection in other states.
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, hardy in zones 3–9, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 3–5 ft tall, where it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 4–7 ft tall, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, deep blue flowers, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
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 sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, spreading 2–4 ft, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, spreading 1.5–2 ft, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, spreading 2–4 ft, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 15–25 ft tall, where it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
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 May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
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 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, for clay and loam ground, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, 2–3 ft wide, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, reaching 6–9 ft, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in New Mexico
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.