California Ornamental Rain Garden Plants

Rain Garden Contours

• Generally a rain garden is an oval- to kidney-shaped depression in an area of well-draining soil where harvested water can be easily channeled but which won't impact septic systems, sewer lines, underground utilities or house foundations. The sides are gently sloped down to a center depression. Water should drain from the garden completely in 24-to-48 hours so mosquitoes won't breed. Native plants or species adapted to your area are ideal candidates for planting. Choose plants that are able to endure high moisture for part of the year yet also withstand summer drought. Select more drought-tolerant plants for the sides and the enclosing berm and more moisture-loving plants for the low center area.

Grasses and Sedges

• Plants like grasses and sedges furnish graceful, flowing lines; textural interest; and a setting for more colorful plants. Pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), an ornamental native grass with a soft mounded clump of fine leaves for most of the year, has a cloud of showy pink flowers in fall. Rising to 4 feet tall in bloom and as wide, this drought-tolerant grass grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9 in full sun to partial shade. For wetter parts of the garden and in full sun to partial shade, California black-flowering sedge (Carex nudata) grows 2 feet high and wide in USDA zones 5 through 9. Grass-like plants have bright green leaves and black flowers in spring.

Perennials

• Native California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) has bright orange-red flowers in summer and fall held above soft, fine gray-green foliage. Drought-tolerant once established, this plant takes occasional flooding. Plants are between 1 and 3 feet tall and grow best in full sun to partial shade in USDA zones 5 through 10. Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa) has nodding red flowers with a yellow heart that rise above ferny green foliage. Plants grow best in full sun to partial shade, are 1-to-3 feet tall and thrive in USDA zones 3 through 9. Flowers of both plants attract hummingbirds.

Wildflowers and Ferns

• Bright red flowers suitable for wettest areas appear from April into October on native scarlet monkey flower (Mimulus cardinalis). Found naturally in seeps and streams throughout the West, this low-growing plant is hardy to USDA zones 8 through 10. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) combines fern-like green foliage with flat-topped clusters of showy flowers in white, red and pink. Drought-tolerant and growing best in full sun, yarrow is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9 and attracts butterflies. California polypody (Polypodium californicum) prefers partial shade, has finely divided bright green fronds rising to 1 foot tall and as wide, and grows in USDA zones 8 through 10. This fern grows along the California coastal mountain ranges and does well in moist situations.