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The 3 Best Plants You Should Add To Your Garden To Reduce Runoff
By SEAMUS GREGAN
Water can destroy life just as fast as it can create it, and each rainstorm spreads oil, dirt, and chemicals if not stopped. As a solution, rain gardens provide water-loving wildflowers, amended soils, and proper drainage systems to beautifully collect rainwater before it can wreak havoc in your community — here are some plants that’ll reduce runoff in your garden.
Swamp Sunflower
Similar to garden sunflowers, the swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) thrives in a sunlit, boggy area, growing between five to seven feet tall. These are some of the latest-blooming sunflowers that provide food and shelter to wildlife like bees and butterflies.
Swamp Milkweed
This sweet-smelling plant not only helps to reduce runoff, but it also attracts Monarch butterflies. The swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a perennial plant that only needs to be planted once, but beware that this plant can be poisonous for pets.
Marsh Marigold
Also known as Kingcup, marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris) are about four to five inches across. These are some of the first wetland flowers to bloom in spring, and are a source of shelter for insects and animals such as hoverflies, bees, frogs, and newts.