Rain gardens are shallow depressions landscaped with native plants that temporarily hold rainwater, allowing it to filter and soak into the ground.
Grow Native sample rain garden design
MSD Rainscaping grants to pay for materials and installation of rain garden
Video series on how to install a rain garden Note: Many of the plants suggested in this series are not native to the St. Louis region. We recommend you instead pick species from this list below or other local resources.
Native Plants for Stormwater Management: Species Selection for the Lower Midwest developed by Grow Native! to guide project planners and designers through the process of selecting plant species for a variety of stormwater practices.
Plants that do well in rain gardens are ones that can tolerate periods of dry and wet. Below are some suggested species. In addition to flowering species, we also suggest including osedges to use as ground covers to occupy soil surface in the basin and on the berms and to minimize the encroachment of unwanted volunteer plants.
Grow Native! has a nice sample design plan for a rain garden that you can take inspiration from. Or the Native Plants for Your Landscape booklet from MDC includes a section on rain gardens that you can use to help with design layout.