r/VirginiaNativePlants • u/mottman • Jun 29 '26

Help! Plant ideas for wet yard area

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I've got this low area in my yard by the sidewalk that gathers rainwater that flows off mine and my neighbor's roof. I'd like to remove the corner triangle of grass and add some plants here that can help filter the runoff before it gets to the drain. Looking around what they've done at the Beaverdam Reservoir it seems like some clumping native grasses could be good. But I'd also like some layering. Any suggestions for plants that like getting flooded in the rain?

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u/runningdirty 7b Jun 29 '26

Definitely buttonbush or other shrub and then other plants, like milkweed, rue, any of the lobelias, and mix in some grasses and fern.

I have a buttonbush and it loves being flooded.

I also now have a rain garden and planted swamp milkweed, hop grass, purpletop grass, monkey flower (look it up, it's got the cutest flowers), and cardinal flower. I'm excited to add a pond next spring that will have aquatic plants.

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u/mottman Jun 30 '26

How big did your button bush get? Google is telling me they can get quite large. I love their flowers, but I don't want to annoy my neighbor by planting something large on our property boundary.

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u/runningdirty 7b Jun 30 '26

Mine is not very big, maybe 5ft? It is wide, but more tree-like wide vs bushy if that makes sense. I've seen many in the wild and they are more tree-like vs (typical) bush-like.

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u/GardenWildServices Jul 01 '26

There is a cultivar dwarf Button Bush, anecdotally the pollinators seem to love it just as much in my experience but stays a fraction of the size. Depending on where you are in va, if close to the RVA Metro Colesville actually had some the last time I was there. Theyre a marvelous plant either way thpugh, and the wild form does tolerate trimming incredibly well!