Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 2–3 ft tall, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Ohio · Zones 5–7
Native Rain Garden Plants in Ohio
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 Ohio and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Ohio's humid continental climate across Eastern Corn Belt & Allegheny Plateau, not a generic list. Local standouts include Great Blue Lobelia and Virginia Bluebells. 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 Ohio
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
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
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
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, white pincushions flowers, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, yellow flowers, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, white, red berries flowers, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, hardy in zones 3–8, where it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 2.5–4 ft tall, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 10–20 ft wide, where it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, hardy in zones 3–9, 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, 2–4 ft tall, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
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 May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
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
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, good through zone 9, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, good through zone 8, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, good through zone 9, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, hardy in zones 3–7, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, spreading 4–8 ft, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, spreading 5–10 ft, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 1.5–2.5 ft wide, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 6–12 ft tall, where it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, for clay and loam ground, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
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
2 more also qualify: Big Bluestem, Cinnamon Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Ohio
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.