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Raingarden Plant Selection

Raingarden Plant Selection (Updated)

Rain gardens help to remove excessive nutrients from water runoff before they enter our waterways, reducing erosion and pollution.

Rain gardens catch water from roofs and other hard surfaces and filter water through its layers of plant roots, sand and gravel before it travels through to the storm water system.

Plant selection has proven to be the most contributing factor to overall success of a raingarden. Recent research has found that the following list of plants are suitable under various conditions:

Variety Plant Name
Evergreen
Yearly pruning required
Mostly wet raingardens
Wet & Dry raingardens
Baloskian Feather Top ™
Carex
Casuarina Free Fall™
Dianellas Breeze®
King Alfred®
Little Jess™
Lucia™
Juncus
Leperonia articulata Twizzler™
Liriopes Amethyst™
Isabella®
Just Right®
Silverlawn™
Pink Pearl™
Lomandra fluviatilis Shara™
Lomandra hystrix Katie Belles™
Tropic Cascade™
Nandinas Blush™
Flirt™
Obsession™
Pennisetums Black Lea
Cream Lea
Nafray®
Pennstripe™
Purple Lea®
Turf Empire™
Nara™
Westringia Grey Box™
Imperata Yalba™
Callistemon Macarthur™
Better John™
Green John™

As detailed above, you will note that Lomandra hystrix performs better when compared to other varieties, including other Lomandras. This is due to its constant evergreen characteristics, even in dry or wet conditions for most of the year.

Other Lomandras have proven to go brown and straw-like, in this case the planting has failed as it can no longer filter nor perform its purpose.

Lomandra hystrix varieties however stay evergreen, continuing to filter water, sand and gravel all year round.

Using turf within and surrounding the water garden is another option that works well. A recent USA study found that turf produces less run off than plants.

A great lawn variety for this purpose is Empire Zoysia turf, it is very low maintenance and very drought tolerant.

Ozbreed has used Empire in its trial gardens as a filter for our dry river beds and it has thrived in both wet and dry conditions.

For more information including details on this study, visit: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/tips/2010/07142010_raingarden.html

Carex & Juncus going brown reducing amount of
nutrients in storm water, whilst Lomandra hystrix stays
evergreen year round.

Emipre turf used in drain conditions.

Todd Layt is a renowned plant and turf breeder, researcher, and marketer with a passion for developing high-quality landscape plants and turf that are tough, resilient, and sustainable.

Over the years, Todd has established himself as an industry leader and has built an impressive portfolio of over 60 different plant varieties, many of which are now selling in large numbers across the globe.

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