Rain Garden Plants
Here you will find rain garden plants for the St Louis Missouri area.
WELCOME to our Rain Garden Plant Guide. Here you will find the best plants for rain gardens for the St Louis Missouri area. Rain gardens slow the flow of rainwater runoff by using plants and other elements similar to those found in nature. They can be shallow swales or depressions that catch and hold rainwater rather than let it run off unhindered. Plants with deep and fibrous root systems help make the soil more sponge-like, allowing the plants to absorb a large amount of rainfall. Missouri native plants are top choices due to their hardy nature.
All plants offered here are available in-house, subject to availability. Some of these plants are offered online for pick up at the nursery.
We do not ship plant.
FILTER THE ITEMS ON THIS PAGE BY:
Plant Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirements
Bloom Color
Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistances
Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirement
Flower Color
Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistance
Astilbe x thunbergii – Straussenfeder – Ostrich Plume Japanese Astilbe
Magnificent in bloom with unique cascading peach-colored blossoms, shade perennial.
Asclepias Incarnata – Cinderella Swamp Milkweed
A beautiful selection of our Missouri native.
Asclepias incarnata – Ice Ballet Swamp Milkweed
Brilliant white, long-lasting vanilla-scented blossoms.
Asclepias incarnata – Swamp Milkweed
Missouri and Illinois native with clouds of pink blossoms.
Aster divaricatus – White Wood Aster
You'll believe it's snowing in summer with this Missouri native.
Astilbe – Go Go Red Reblooming False Spirea
First Reblooming Red Astilbe! Long-lived Shade perennial.
Astilbe – Mighty Pip False Spirea
Excellent performer, staff favorite, highly recommended.
Astilbe – Red Sentinal False Spirea
Considered one of the best for years, shade perennial.
Baptisia sphaerocarpa – Yellow Wild Indigo
Spectacular Missouri wildflower.
Carex albicans – Oak Sedge – White-Tinged Sedge
Fantastic native sedge for dry shade.
Carex eburnea – Bristle Leaf Sedge
Looks like grass but no mowing required, shade lover.
Colocasia – Thailand Giant Elephant Ears
A behemoth that grows as big as a car in one summer! Sun, tender. Bulbs can be lifted and stored over winter.
Colocasia – Waikiki Elephant Ears
Escape to the tropics with this award-winning dream.
Eupatorium – Jojo Joe Pye Weed
Fluffy pink pom-pom flowers mid-summer until frost.
Hydrangea – Haas’ Halo Smooth Hydrangea
Highly sought after, rare and limited.
Hydrangea – Incrediball Storm Proof Smooth Hydrangea
Showy flowers do not flop.
Liatris ligulistylis – Meadow Blazing Star
#1 favorite nectar plant source for Monarch butterflies, Mo native.
Liatris pycnostachya – Lavender Glowsticks Prairie Blazing Star
Spectacular 2' long purple flower spikes can be more than 1/2 of the 4' plant.
Lobelia cardinalis – Cardinal Flower
Choice Missouri and Illinois native perennial with brilliant cardinal red blossoms.
Lobelia siphilitica – Blue Cardinal Flower
Majestic Missouri native perennial.
Monarda bradburiana – Bee Balm
Important Missouri native pollinator plant.
Monarda fistulosa – Wild Bergamot
An important Missouri and Illinois native pollinator food source.
Muhlenbergia capillaris – Pink Muhly Grass
Clouds of rich pink fall flowers.
Oenothera macrocarpa – Missouri Evening Primrose
Top Missouri native perennial highly recommended.
Packera obovata – Squaw Weed
Fantastic MO native evergreen ground cover for sun or shade.
Penstemon – Blackbeard Beardtongue
Ahoy matey! You'll be in on the treasure with this jewel.
Penstemon digitalis – Smooth White Beardtongue
An important food source for pollinators.
Phlox paniculata – Gzhel Garden Phlox
Fascinating lavender-blue and white striped blossoms, hardy.
Phlox paniculata – Sherbet Blend Garden Phlox
Unique colors on a flamboyant plant, hardy perennial.
Phlox paniculata – Stars and Stripes Garden Phlox
Unique colors on a flamboyant plant, hardy perennial.
Rudbeckia – American Gold Rush Black-Eyed Susan
2023 Perennial Plant of the Year, winner of top 3 horticulture awards.
Rudbeckia hirta – Black-Eyed Susan
An easy to grow Missouri native.
Senecio aureus – Golden Groundsel
Dream plant for tough dry shade spots.
Aesculus parviflora, Bottlebrush Buckeye
Large showy hard to find shrub.
Amsonia illustris – Shining Blue Star
Popular, easy-to-grow Missouri native perennial.
Amsonia tabermontana – Willowleaf Blue Star
Top award-winning native with starry blue flowers.
Apios americana – Groundnut Vine
Missouri native vine for shade.
Aristolochia tomentosa – Dutchman’s Pipe
Pipe shaped blossoms on rapidly growing native vine.
Aronia melanocarpa – Chokeberry
Showy Missouri native shrub. Tolerates wet soils.
Asclepias perennis – Aquatic Millkweed
An important food source for Monarch butterflies and other flying gems.
Asclepias sullivantii – Prairie Milkweed
Important food source for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
Asclepias verticillata – Whorled Milkweed
Important food source for Monarch butterflies.
Astilbe – Fanal False Spirea
Long-time favorite red shade perennial.
Astilbe – Look At Me False Spirea
Huge pink plumes with dramatic red stems.
Astilbe – Pumila False Spirea
Makes a fantastic ground cover for shade.
Baptisia alba – White Wild Indigo
A tough Missouri native perennial.
Baptisia bracteata – Cream Wild Indigo
Easy to grow Missouri native perennial.
Betula – Fox Valley Dwarf River Birch – Little King Dwarf River Birch Tree
Extremely showy peeling bark.
Calycanthus – Aphrodite Carolina Allspice
Beautiful fragrant flowers.
Calycanthus floridus – Carolina Allspice
Award winning Missouri native shrub with highly scented flowers.
Calycanthus Simply Scentsational – Carolina Allspice
Highly fragrant flowers with fruity fragrance.
Carex grayi – Gray Sedge
Fun and funky Missouri native sedge.
Carex muskingumensis – Palm Sedge
Popular Missouri and Illinois native sedge.
Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania Sedge or Oak Sedge
Native Sedge ideal for shade to deep shade where nothing else will grow.
Carex vulpinoidea, Fox Sedge
Thrives in wet spots.
Carpinus caroliniana – American Hornbeam
Award-winning native tree for understory plantings.
Chasmanthium latifolium – Northern Sea Oats
Bring beautiful form to your shade garden.
Chelone glabra -Turtle Head
Illinois and Missouri native moisture-loving perennial.
Chelone obliqua – Turtle Head
Popular native Missouri perennial with turtle head shaped flowers.
Clethra Ruby Spice – Summersweet
Award-winning fragrant pink flowers.
Eupatorium – Gateway Joe Pye Weed
Just like its huge cousin, but at 5' only 1/2 as tall.
Eupatorium purpureum Eutrochium – Joe-Pye Weed
One of the largest Missouri native perennials.
Gymnocladus dioicus – Kentucky Coffee Tree
Award-winning tree to create shade.
Hamamelis vernalis – Ozark Witch Hazel
Award winning native shrub.
Hibiscus – Edge of Night Rose Mallow
Striking jet black foliage and bubblegum pink blossoms on this hardy perennial.
Hibiscus – Holy Grail Rose Mallow
Only a gift from heaven could be named Holy Grail.
Hibiscus – Summer Carnival Rose Mallow
Bold, beautiful flowers, gorgeous variegated foliage.
Hibiscus – Summerific Cherry Choco Latte Rose Mallow
Over 9" flowers!
Hibiscus laevis – Halberd Leaved Rose Mallow
Its interesting leaves resemble the 15th-16th century weapon the halberd spear.
Hibiscus lasiocarpus – Rose Mallow
Big showy plant with giant flowers, native perennial.
Hibiscus moscheutos – Swamp Rose Mallow
Among the largest flowers produced by a native perennial.
Hydrangea – Incrediball Smooth Hydrangea
Huge flowers the size of basketballs on sturdy stems.
Hydrangea – Pinky Pollen Ring Smooth Hydrangea
Pink flowers create a flutter of activity in the garden!
Hydrangea a. – Incrediball Blush Smooth Hydrangea
Huge pink flowers bloom reliably year after year.
Hydrangea a. – Invincibelle Ruby Smooth Hydrangea
A red version of our native Hydrangea.
Hydrangea arborescens – Smooth Hydrangea
2024 Native Plant Of The Year
Hydrangea Garnetta, Smooth Hydrangea
Bright pink flowers bloom on petite shrubs.
Hydrangea Wee White – Smooth Hydrangea
Easy-care miniature shrub. Perfect for landscapes or mixed in perennial gardens.
Ilex – Berry Heavy Female Winterberry
Abundance of red berries in winter.
Ilex – Little Goblin Red Female Winterberry
Huge red berries on dwarf nativar shrub.
Iodanthus pinnatifidus – Purple Rocket
A Missouri and Illinois native that brings color to shady spots.
Iris virginica shrevei – Southern Blue Flag
Missouri and Illinois native Iris for wet spots.
Itea – Fizzy Mizzy Sweetspire
Fun small shrub with sweetly scented white flower spikes.
Itea – Short N’ Sweet Sweetspire
Fragrant flowers that will grow just about anywhere.
Itea virginica, Virginia Sweetspire
This small Missouri and Illinois native shrubs grows anywhere, sun, shade, wet, dry.
Liatris pycnostachya – Prairie Blazing Star
A favorite of humans and other critters.
Lobelia Starship – Scarlet Bronze Leaf Cardinal Flower
The best in its class, it dazzles with majestic spires of ruby red flowers and black stems.
Magnolia Butterflies
Lemon-yellow blossoms on an award-winning tree.
Magnolia virginiana – Glauca Sweet Bay Magnolia
Grows a little smaller than the species Magnolia virginiana.
Magnolia Yellow Bird
Lemon-yellow blossoms burst forth in spring.
Matteuccia struthiopteris – Ostrich Fern
A vigorous handsome Missouri native fern.
Search
FILTER THE ITEMS ON THIS PAGE BY:
Plant Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirements
Bloom Color
Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistances
Type
Genus
Common Name
Light Requirement
Flower Color
Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistance
Keep up with all the newest and best in gardening. Sign up here: