Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, deep blue flowers, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wisconsin · Zones 3–5
Native Rain Garden Plants in Wisconsin
Moisture-loving natives for rain gardens, pond edges, downspout basins, and the low spots that stay soggy after a storm. For Wisconsin, the right natives are shaped by Northern forest, driftless prairie & oak savanna and a cold continental climate. Every species below, from Great Blue Lobelia and Golden Alexanders to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Wisconsin and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 3–5. 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 Wisconsin
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, 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
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
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, for loam ground, where it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
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 Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Built for the wet center of a rain garden and the boom-and-bust of storm runoff, hardy in zones 3–9, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 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, scarlet red flowers, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, white candelabra flowers, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, reaching 6–10 ft, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, good through zone 8, where it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, hardy in zones 3–9, 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, good through zone 9, where it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, reaching 5–10 ft, where it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, 4–7 ft tall, where it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, white spring lace flowers, where it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, 3–5 ft tall, 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, reaching 3–5 ft, where it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
For the wet center of a rain garden and damp low spots, creamy umbels flowers, where it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, white to pink flowers, where it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Takes the wet center of a rain garden through flood and dry spell alike, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Happy in the wet center of a rain garden and ground that stays soggy after a storm, reaching 3–6 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
1 more also qualify: Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Wisconsin
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
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