rain_garden

The Native Plant Nursery LLC
Ann Arbor, Michigan
www.nativeplant.com

rain_garden_kit

Rain Garden Kit

The rain garden kit contains a mix of 32, plug-sized, native Michigan perennial plants chosen to thrive in conditions with seasonal moisture. Each plant comes labelled with the first 3 letters of the genus and species name. In your garden, space the plants about 2 feet apart, take them out of their tubes, plant and water them. At this spacing, kit will fill an area about 100 sqft.

The species included in the kit vary. A typical kit includes 11 different species for a site with full sun to partial shade and seasonally moist soil. Kits can be customized by request to accommodate a variety of sites from sun to shade. Plants are typically chosen from the following list:

	Aquilegia canadensis, (Wild Columbine)
	height: 2 -3 ft. light: pt. shade -sun moisture: mesic - dry mesic	reddish flowers in spring provide food for hummingbirds; tolerant of a variety of habitats from full sun to light shade; a somewhat short-lived perennial, spreads well by seed.
	Asclepias incarnata, (Swamp Milkweed)
	height: 3 -4 ft. light: sun moisture: wet -mesic	Colorful pink flower clusters in summer; attracts butterflies and other pollinators.
	Aster umbellatus, (Tall Flat-top White Aster)
	height: 3 -4 ft. light: sun moisture: mesic -wet mesic	upright perennial.
	Carex vulpinoidea, (Fox sedge)
	height: 1 -2 ft. light: sun -part shade moisture: mesic -wet mesic	A clumping perennial; tolerates fluctuating moisture levels.
	Eupatorium perfoliatum, (Boneset)
	height: 3 -5 ft. light: sun -part sun moisture: mesic -wet mesic	an upright perennial with textured, pointy leaves joined around the stem; naturalizes well in wet soil; tolerates typical garden conditions as an ornamental; An excellent nectar source for butterflies.
	Helenium autumnale, (Sneezeweed)
	height: 3 -6 ft. light: sun -part shade moisture: mesic -wet mesic	NOTICE: does not induce sneezing!; perennial roots send up several upright stems; flower petals fringed at the edges; dried flower parts were used to make a popular sneezing powder.
	Juncus effusus, (Soft-stemmed rush)
	height: 2 -3 ft. light: sun -light shade moisture: wet mesic -wet	clump-forming, grass-like perennial; straight, upright narrow blades a deep-green color.
	Juncus tenuis, (Roadside rush; path rush)
	height: 1 -2 ft. light: sun -light shade moisture: dry mesic -wet mesic	a grass-like perennial with fine-blades; spreads to form a patch of small clumps; thrives in compacted soil.
	Lobelia siphilitica, (Great Blue Lobelia)
	height: 2 -4 ft. light: sun - shade moisture: mesic -wet mesic	compact form; several upright stems form spikes of blue flowers in fall; can spread well from seed.
	Mimulus ringens, (Monkey-flower)
	height: 2 -4 ft. light: sun -part sun moisture: mesic -wet mesic	a weak-stemmed perennial; purple flowers in late summer.
	Penstemon digitalis, (Foxglove beard-tongue)
	height: 3 -4 ft. light: pt. shade - sun moisture: mesic	perennial roots grow several upright stems topped with white, tubular flowers; can work well as an ornamental.
	Pycnanthemum virginianum, (Mountain mint)
	height: 2 -4 ft. light: sun moisture: mesic -wet mesic	perennial roots form a small patch of several upright stems; leaves small and narrow with minty fragrance.
	Ranunculus hispidus, (Swamp buttercup)
	height: 1 -1.5 ft. light: part sun -light shade moisture: mesic -wet	spreading perennial, forms a ground cover of 3-parted leaves; shiny yellow flowers in spring.
	Senecio aureus, (Golden ragwort)
	height: 2-3 ft. light: shade -part sun moisture: mesic -wet	perennial roots spread to form a groundcover of rounded leaves in early spring; later, sends up several upright flower stems, which go to seed and die-back in summer.
	Solidago riddellii, (Riddell's goldenrod)
	height: 2 -4 ft. light: sun moisture: wet mesic -mesic	perennial roots send up several upright stem with narrow, arching leaves.
	Thalictrum dasycarpum, (Tall meadow-rue)
	height: 3 -6 ft. light: shade -part sun moisture: mesic -wet mesic	perennial with upright stems and delicate, divided leaves; airy plume of white flowers.
	Vernonia missurica, (Missouri ironweed)
	height: 4 -6 ft. light: sun moisture: mesic -wet mesic	an upright perennial; purple blooms later produce bronze fluffy seed.
	Zizia aurea, (Golden alexanders)
	height: 2 -4 ft. light: sun -light shade moisture: mesic -wet mesic	upright loosely branched perennial with divided leaves; topped with golden blooms in spring; naturalizes well from seed.