May 2001
Rain Garden Plant Starter List
Baker’s Prairie Plant Picks
When planting a prairie garden, says Baker, its important not to neglect the grasses. Their dense root systems squeeze out weeds and help support the wildflowers so they don’t flop. From an aesthetic point of view, Baker suggests using flowers that bloom at different times for continual color throughout the growing season. She also recommends selecting shorter species and using transplants as opposed to seeds for smaller plots. Although transplants cost more, they often bloom the first year. Plants grown from seeds will take three years or longer to produce flowers.
Spring/Early Summer Bloomers
Red Milkweed
Shooting Star
Wild Iris
Summer Bloomers
Nodding Pink Onion
Prairie Blazing Star
Late Summer/Fall Bloomers
New England Aster
Ohio Goldenrod
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan
Grasses
Indian Grass
Prairie Drop Seed
Harrison’s Ornamental Options
Not only can these plants tolerate wet conditions, they also can withstand our Upper Midwest winters. And, adds Harrison, you don’t need a particularly talented green thumb to grow them. Mixing trees, shrubs, flowers, and ground covers to create different plant levels will attract a greater diversity of wildlife to your garden.
Trees
Red Maple (prefers acid soil)
River Birch
Swamp White Oak
Shrubs
Glossy Black Chokeberry
Northern Lights Azalea (prefers acid soil)
Red-Osier Dogwood
Perennials and Annuals
Asters
Astilbe
Campanula
Cardinal Flower
Hosta
Orange Coneflower
Salvia
Siberian iris
Groundcovers and Ferns
Creeping willow
Dwarf arctic willow
Most mosses do well in moist, acid soils
Ferns need moist yet relatively well-drained soils
Plants in Sand’s Wetland Stand
Wetland gardens may have three zones, says Sands — one in which plants are in for some occasional wading, one in which they continually have wet feet, and one in which they are completely immersed. You should select plants accordingly. Sands also cautions that the hardy cattail species can easily come to dominate an entire wetland conversation. He keeps the dialogue going by pulling a bunch out of his garden once a year.
Wet Meadow/Prairie (occasionally wet feet, dry tops)
Blue Lobelia
Boneset
Fox Sedge
Joe Pye Weed
Ironweed
Meadowrue
New England Aster
Porcupine Sedge
Red Cardinal Flower
Red Milkweed
Switchgrass
Turtlehead
Emergent (feet in permanent pool, dry tops)
Blue Flag Iris
Marsh Marigold
Pickerelweed
Softstem Bulrush
Sweet Flag
Wapato Duck Potato
Water Plantain
Submergent
Native Lilypad
Chara
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