Rain Garden Plants

The Plants

One of the most exciting things about rain gardens is the opportunity they provide to plant native species in urban areas, thus helping to restore urban habitat for birds and pollinators like bumblebees and butterflies. We’ve pulled together a list of species that have been used in rain gardens in Nova Scotia and Maine here.

Plant Common Name	Plant Latin Name
Dwarf Goat's Beard	Aruncus aethusifolius
Woods Purple New York Aster	Aster novi-belgii
Blue Flag Iris	Iris veriscolor
Switch Grass	Panicum Virgatum
Hard Sheild Fern	Polystichum aculeatum
Goldsturm Black-Eyed Susan	Rudbeckia fulgida "Goldsturm"
Red twig Dogwood	Cornus sericea
Sweet Flag	Acorus americanus
Swamp Milkweed	Asclepius incarnata
Marsh Marigold	Caltha palustris
White Turtle Head	Chelone glabra
Christmas Fern	Polystichum acrostichoides
New England Aster	Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Vernal Witch Hazel	Hamamelis vernalis
Native Rhododendron	Rhododendron canadense
Labrador tea	Ledum groenlandicum
Winterberry	Ilex verticillata
Royal fern	Osmunda regalis
Native Columbine	Aquilegia canadensis
Sensitive Fern	Onoclea sensibilis
Cardinal Flower	Lobelia cardinalis
Sweet Fern	Comptonia peregrina
Bearberry	Arctostaplylos uva-ursi
Wild geranium	Geranium maculatum
Northern Maidenhair Fern	Adiantum pedatum
Joe Pye Weed	Eupatorium maculatum
Serviceberry	Amelanchier canadensis
Bayberry	Myrica pensylvanica
Blood root	Sanguinaria canadensis
Wild raisin	Viburnum nudum

When selecting plants, consider its growing preferences and features:

·         Native or non-native?

·         Sun or shade

·         Acidic or alkaline soils

·         Nitrogen fixer?

·         Full-size shape & size

·         Moisture tolerance

·         Edible/medicinal?

·         Wildlife benefits?

The Dalhousie rain garden features:

Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina)

Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)

Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)

Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)

Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)

Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia)

Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)

Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)

The Evergreen Native Plant Database is a great tool for learning about and choosing native plants. If you really want to be sure a plant is native to Nova Scotia and learn about its natural habitat, consult Roland’s tome, The Flora of Nova Scotia, available online here: Part 1 and Part 2.

It can be a challenge to find sources of native plants, and even as the garden was being planned, some nurseries were closing. Here’s a list of nurseries in Nova Scotia that supply native plants suitable for rain gardens.

Baldwin Nurseries Falmouth, NS 798-9468 www.baldwinnurseries.com

Blomidon Nurseries Wolfville, NS 542-2295 www.blomidonnurseries.net/home

Bunchberry Nurseries Upper Clements, NS 532-7777 www.bunchberrynurseries.ca/

Oceanview Garden and Landscaping Chester, NS 275-2505 www.plantcrazy.ca

Ouestville Perennials West Pubnico, NS 762-3198 www.ouestvilleperennials.com