29 Rain Garden Plants For Sun Or Shade

Sun

• Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) – Goldenrod enjoys being in full sun to part shade. They have beautiful, bright yellow flowers through the summer, and are native prairie plants. It grows well in zones 3-8, and will get between 24-48” tall.

• Prairie blazingstar (Liatris pycnostachya) – With tall, fluffy spikes of pink or purple flowers, prairie blazingstar blooms in mid to late summer, and thrives in direct sun. They’re between 18-36” tall, hardy in zones 3-9, and the bees love them.

• Water iris (Iris ensata) – The water iris has colorful purple blooms that flower in early to mid summer in zones 4-9. They prefer sun to part shade, have interesting spiky foliage, and are 24-36” high. If you are looking for even more color, choose one with variegated foliage.

• ‘Little Joe’ pye weed (Eupatorium dubium) – Little Joe’ pye weed prefers full sun to part shade, and will have light purple flowers in the late summer. They’re 36-48” tall in zones 4-8, and butterflies can’t resist them.

• Bee balm (Monarda bradburiana) – If you have sun to part shade, and are looking for something to attract bees and butterflies, then bee balm is the right choice. It gets to be 12-24” high, and has tall pink, light purple, to dark pink flowers that bloom in early summer. This perennial herb does best in zones 4-8.

Related Post: 21 Of The Best Plants & Flowers For Attracting Bees

Shade

• Turtlehead (Chelone) – Turtlehead plants do well in zones 3-8 in partial to full shade. They have white, pink, or purple flowers that bloom in late summer to fall, and gorgeous dark green foliage. These plants are 24-36’ tall.

• Maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) – This pretty foliage plant does well in partial to full shade, and likes moist soil. Maidenhair ferns are 12-36” tall and, while they don’t bloom, they make a beautiful backdrop for other flowers in zones 3-8.

• Sedges – Sedges do well in full shade to sun, and their hardiness will vary by species. Their foliage adds interest and texture, and can create the illusion of moving water when the wind blows. They can be between 24-48” tall, depending on the variety.

• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) – The cardinal flower has bright red spikes of flowers that hummingbirds and pollinators adore. They bloom in late summer through fall, grow well in sun to shade in zones 2-9, and are 24-36” tall.

• Black snakeroot (Actaea racemosa) – Black snakeroot has gorgeous, dark red to maroon foliage, which is made even more striking by the white flower spikes that bloom in late spring to early summer in zones 4-8. These plants need consistently moist soil and full shade, and are approximately 48” tall.

Sun

• Astilbe – These beauties do well in sun to shade, depending on the variety. Also called false goat’s beard, they come in various heights and colors, and do well in zones 4-9. They will bloom in spring to early summer, with tall, wispy flower spikes.

• Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – Purple coneflowers like part shade to full sun, and bloom in mid-summer. Other varieties have white, red, and orange flowers. All are adored by birds and butterflies. They do well in zones 2-10, and are 24 to 48“ tall.

• Coral bells (Heuchera) – These adorable plants come in a variety of colors, and the flowers dangle from 18” tall spikes that bloom in spring through the summer. Coral bells come in a wide variety of stunning foliage colors, do well in zones 4-9, and anywhere from sun to shade, depending on the cultivar.

• Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) – A host plant for the monarch caterpillar, the bright orange flowers attract other pollinators and bees too. Butterfly weed enjoys direct sunlight to part shade, and is 24-36” tall in zones 4-9.

• Rudbeckia – With lovely red, yellow, or maroon flowers that bloom in late summer, depending on the cultivar, rudbeckia attracts birds and pollinators. They do well in zones 3-9 from full sun to part shade. Some varieties only reach a foot tall, while others can be several feet in height.

Related Post: 19 Plants & Flowers For Attracting Butterflies

Shade

• Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) – This cute plant has unique, tubular flowers in late spring to early summer, and they come in tons of different colors. Columbine attracts pollinators, does well in shade to sun in zones 3-8, and is 12-36” tall.

• Asters – Asters prefer sun to shade, dry to moist soil, and bloom at various times. They come in a variety of different colors and heights, depending on the variety, and prefer zones 3-9.

• Prairie coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata) – Prairie coreopsis blooms in early to mid-summer, with vibrant yellow flowers that attract butterflies. They’re 18-36” tall, can take part shade to full sun, and thrive in zones 3-8.

• Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) – This delicate plant blooms in spring, with heart-shaped pink and white flowers. It dies back in the late summer, so intersperse them to avoid large empty spaces. Bleeding hearts are 18-36” tall, and do best in zones 3-9.

• Lungwort (Pulmonaria) – Lungwort has pink, white, or bluish flower spikes that bloom in mid-spring, with cool spotted foliage. This plant is for zones 4-9 in partial to full shade, and is 12-18” tall.

Sun Plants

• Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) – Creeping phlox is a beautiful groundcover with evergreen foliage, and pink, purple, white, or striped flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer. They enjoy full sun, are 12-18” tall, and hardy in zones 4-8.

• Lilium – Lilium comes in many different colors, heights, and varieties that bloom in the summer. For direct sun areas, choose oriental or daylilies, and remember their hardiness and height can vary by variety.

• Sedums – Sedum or stonecrop of any variety is perfect for the drier areas of the outer edge. They come in many different foliage and flower colors, which bloom summer through fall, and reach 6-24” tall. Great for full sun to partial shade. Check each variety for the hardiness in your zone.

• Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) – Russian sage has soft silver/gray foliage with delicate purple flower spikes that the bees love. They bloom from late summer through fall, and will tolerate partial shade in zones 4-9. You can expect them to be 24-36” tall.

Shade Plants

• Hostas – There are hundreds of different cultivars of hostas, with a wide variety of foliage colors. Their white, pink, or purple tubular flowers form on slender stems, and bloom in mid-summer. They are a favorite of bees, and their hardiness depends on the species chosen.

• Prairie smoke (Geum Triflorum) – Prairie smoke is a native plant that enjoys partial shade to full sun. They bloom in late spring, are 12-18” tall, and hardy in zones 1-8. They provide excellent ground cover, and are perfect for the drier edges of rain gardens.

• Sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) – Sharp-lobed hepatica prefers full to partial shade, and blooms in spring in various colors from white to pink, to shades of blue and violet. They remain evergreen through winter, and are 3-6” tall.

• Ajuga (bugleweed) – Ajuga, or bugleweed, likes full shade to sun, and provides wonderful ground cover in zones 4-9. The foliage comes in a variety of gorgeous colors, and the pink or purple flower spikes bloom in early summer.

• Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) – Wild geranium blooms with bright purple flowers in the late spring to mid-summer in zones 3-8. The foliage will often turn reddish in the fall. They reach 12-18” tall, and prefer sun to partial shade.

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