Appendix A. Suitable Rain Garden Plants TREES Stabilize Steep Embankments Provide Windbreaks/ Screening Tolerates Strong Wind/ Salt Spray Tolerates Moist Soils Tolerates Shade Thrives in Full Sun Tolerates Dry Conditions Acer rubrum Red Maple x x x x x Betula papyrifera White Birch x x Betula nirga River Birch x x Cornus alternifolia Pagoda Dogwood x x x Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood x x x Fagus grandifolia American Beech x x x x Ilex opaca American Holly x x Juniperus virginiana Red Cedar x x x x x x Nyssa sylvatica Black Gum x x x Ostrya virginiana Hop Hornbeam x x x x x Pinus strobus White Pine x x x x x x Populus grandidenta or tremuloides Aspen x x Prunus pennsylvanica Pin Cherry x x x x Prunus serotina Black Cherry x x x x x Prunus virginia Chokecherry x x x x x Quercus alba White Oak x x Quercus bicolor Swamp White Oak x x x x x x Quercus rubra Red Oak x x x x Quercus velutina Black Oak x x x x x Rhus typhina or Rhus glabra Sumac x x x x Tsuga Canadensis Eastern Hemlock x x x x
SHRUBS, part 1 Stabilize Steep Embankments Provide Screening Tolerates Strong Wind/ Salt Spray Tolerates Moist Soils Tolerates Shade Thrives in Full Sun Tolerates Dry Conditions Amelanchiar canadensis Shadbush x x x x x Aronia arbutifolia Red Chokeberry x x x x x Aronia melanocarpa Black Chokeberry x x x x x Cephalanthus occidentalis Buttonbush x x Chionanthus virginicus White Fringe Tree x x Clethra Alnifolia Sweet Pepper Bush x x x x Comptonia peregrina Sweet Fern x x x x Cornus amomum Silky Dogwood x x Cornus sericea Redosier Dogwood x x Hydrangea quercifolia Oakleaf Hydrangea x x x Ilex glabra Inkberry x x x x x Ilex verticillata Winterberry Holly x x x Juniperus Communis Common Juniper x x x x Kalmia latifolia Mountain Laurel x x x Lindera benzoin Common Spicebush x x Myrica pensylvanica Bayberry x x x x x Potentialla fruticosa Bush Cinquefoil x x x x Prunus maritima Beach Plum x x x Rhododendron nudiflorum Pink Azalea x x x Rhododendron roseum Mountain Azalea x x x x Rosa virginiana/carolina Virginia or Carolina Rose x x x x Rubus occidentalis or strigosus Raspberry x x x x
SHRUBS, part 2 Stabilize Steep Embankments Provide Screening Tolerates Strong Wind/ Salt Spray Tolerates Moist Soils Tolerates Shade Thrives in Full Sun Tolerates Dry Conditions Salix discolor Pussy Willow x x x Sambucus canadensis Common Elderberry x x x x Spirea latifolia Meadowsweet x x x Spirea tomentosa Steeplebush x x Vaccinium corymbossum Highbush Blueberry x x x x x Viburnum acerfolium Mapleleaf Viburnum x x x Viburnum dentatum Northern Arrowwood x x x x x Viburnum lentago Nannyberry x x x Viburnum prunifolium Blackhaw Viburnum x x x Viburnum trilobum American Cranberrybush x x x GROUNDCOVERS Stabilize Steep Embankments Provide Windbreaks/ Screening Tolerates Strong Wind/ Salt Spray Tolerates Moist Soils Tolerates Shade Thrives in Full Sun Tolerates Dry Conditions Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Bearberry x x x x x Juniperus conferta Shore juniper x x x x Vaccinium augustifolium Lowbush blueberry x x x x x Dennstaedtia punctilobula Hay Scented Fern x x x Juncus effusus Soft Rush x x Chamaecrista fasciculata Partridge Pea x x x Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich Fern x x Onolea sensibilis Sensitive Fern x x x
GRASSES Stabilize Steep Embankments Provide Screening Tolerates Strong Wind/ Salt Spray Tolerates Moist Soils Tolerates Shade Thrives in Full Sun Tolerates Dry Conditions Agrostis stolonifera Creeping Bent Grass x x Ammophila breviligulata Amer. Beach Grass x x x x Festuca rubra Creeping Red Fescue x x x x Elymus virginicus Virginia Wild Rye x x x x Elymus canadensis Canada Wild-Rye x x x x Elymus villosus Silky Wild-Rye x x x x Panicum clandestinum Deertongue x x x x Panicum virgatum Switchgrass x x x x Poa palustris Fowl Bluegrass x x x x Deschampsia flexulosa Crinkled Hair Grass x x x x Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem x x x Schizachyrium scoparius Little Bluestem x x x Sorghastrum nutans Indiangrass x x x Sporobolus cryptandrus Sand Dropseed x x x Panicum virgatum Shelter Switchgrass x x x x Agrostis alba Red Top x x x x
WILDFLOWERS Stabilize Steep Provide Screening Tolerates Strong Wind/ Salt Spray Tolerates Moist Soils Tolerates Shade Thrives in Full Sun Tolerates Dry Conditions Aster umbellatus Flat-top Aster x x x Eupatorium fistulosum Joe-Pye Weed x x Eupatorium perfoliatum Boneset x x x Verbena hastata Blue Vervain x x Bidens cernua Nodding Bur-Marigold x x x Solidago canadensis Canada Goldenrod x x x Solidago graminifolia Grass-leaved Goldenrod x x x Helianthus annuus Annual Sunflower x x Desmodium canadense Showy Tick-trefoil x x Asclepias syriaca Common Milkweed x x x Aster lateriflorus Calico Aster x x x Aster nova-angliae New England Aster x x x Aster novi-belgii New York Aster x x x Aster laevis Smooth Aster x x x Penstemon digitalis Beard Tongue x x x Lespedeza capitata Bush Clover x x x Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Milkweed x x x Lupinus perennis Wild Blue Lupine x x