Rain Gardens and other such landscaping features are critical for the filtration of nutrients within a watershed. Before starting your garden, contact your local Conservation Commission Agent to verify that it is okay to install a buffer/rain garden where you are planning. Any alteration to the landscape or vegetation within 100′ of a body of water or wetland requires a review from the Conservation Commission.
It is important to remember that even though your buffer and/or rain garden is meant to collect rain, it will not always have water in it. For this reason, be sure to select native, drought resistant plants such as the ones listed below:
Perennials:
Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium) – 1’, full sun stiff, grass-like with blue-violet flowers (Photo by By Wouter Hagens)
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) – 1-2’, full sun, early yellow flowers (Photo by By Jasper33)
Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) – 1-3’, full sun, purple, pink, white, or yellow flower spires in June; pretty foliage (Photo by By Miya.m)
Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) – 1-4′, full sun, white ray flower with yellow center, attracts butterflies (Photo by Derek Ramsey)
Cardinal Flower (Lobella cardinalis) – 2-4’, full sun, brilliant red flowers, attracts hummingbirds (Photo by Barnes, Dr. Thomas G)
Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) – 1-3’, full sun, showy purple-blue flowers in late spring (Photo by D. Gordon E. Robertson)
Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) – 2’, full sun, forms low turf on sunny dry soils (Photo by Chhe)
Jewelweed (Impatiens capenis) – 1-3’, full/part shade, full sun orange flowers in summer, attracts hummingbirds, butterflies (Photo by D. Gordon E. Robertson)
Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) – 1’, full/part shade, small star-like flowers in a loose spike (Photo by Derek Ramsey)
Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) – 6”, full/part shade, trailing plant, white and pink flowers (Photo by By Walter Siegmund)
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) – 1’, full/part shade, delicate with blue-lavender bell-shaped flowers (Photo by By Veli-Matti Niemitalo)
Low growing shrubs:
Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) – 1-2’ full/part shade & full sun, flowers & fruits, attracts birds, scarlet fall color, good ground cover
Maple Leaf Viburnum (Vibunum acerifolium) – 3-6’ full/part shade & full sun, fruits, attracts birds, attractive foliage, good fall color (Photo by By Jomegat)
Steeplebush (Spiraea tomenosa) – 4′, full/part shade & full sun, spires of pink flowers (Photo by By Steven G. Johnson)
Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrine) – 2-4′, full/part shade & full sun, gray green aromatic fern-like leaves (Photo by Britt Slattery)
Pasture Juniper (Juniperus communis) – 1-4’, full sun, foliage, good ground cover (Photo by Neva Micheva)
Rhodora Azalea (Rododendron canadense) – 3-4’, full sun, very showy rose purple flowers (Photo by SA)
Sweet Gale (Myrica gale) – 2-4’, full sun, aromatic foliage (Photo by SA)
Ground Covers:
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) – 1’, full sun, handsome foliage, good ground-cover (Photo by Sten Porse)
Virginia Creeper (Pathenosissus quinquefolia) – full/part shade, grows low along ground, up trees, fences, rock walls (Photo by Linnaeus)
Bunchberry/Creeping Dogwood (Cornus Canadensis) – 6”, full/part shade, attracts birds, showy white, spring flowers, red summer berries, purplish fall color, excellent ground cover (Photo by John Harvey)
Wintergreen (Gautheria procumbens) – 4”, full/part shade, flowers, fruits, glossy aromatic foliage (Photo by By Bramblehillshaman)
Patridge Berry (Migtchella repens) – 2”, full/part shade, white flowers in June, red berries late summer-fall
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoies) – 1’, full/part shade, evergreen ground cover, glossy foliage
Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) – 3-4′, full/part shade, handsome foliage, cinnamon-colored fertile fronds
Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) – 2’, full/part shade, fertile fronds used in dried arrangements