Rain Garden Guide

Updated May 20, 2020
A rain garden is a depressed area in the landscape that collects rain water from a roof, driveway or street and allows it to soak into the ground. Planted with grasses and flowering perennials, rain gardens can be a cost effective and beautiful way to reduce runoff from your property. Rain gardens can also help filter out pollutants in runoff and provide food and shelter for butterflies, song birds and other wildlife.

More complex rain gardens with drainage systems and amended soils are often referred to as bioretention.

From the Mid-America Regional Council, recommended plants for the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area include:

PARTIAL SHADE - These plants do best in areas where they will receive between four and six hours of sun per day. Morning sun and afternoon shade is best.

1. Virginia Wild Rye
2. Blue Lobelia
3. Rose Turtlehead
4. Copper Iris
5. Celandine Poppy
6. Cardinal Flower
7. Sweet Coneflower
8. River Oats
9. Wild Ageratum
10. Tussock Sedge

FULL SUN - These plants do best when they can receive six or more hours of sun per day.

1. Lanceleaf Coreopsis
2. Little Bluestem
3. Prairie Blazing Star
4. Marsh Milkweed
5. Soft Rush
6. Blue Sage
7. Blue Flag
8. Sideoats Grama
9. New England Aster
10. Wild Quinine
11. Black-Eyed Susan