Spring Showers, Meet Your Match: 5 Native Plants for Wet Yards

April Showers are upon us, and while they do bring May flowers, they can also bring wet yards! However, there are some plants that can help keep your landscape dry during those April showers. Check out our list of the top 5 native plants that will keep your yard dry this April!

Spring is a common time for Arborvine’s professional consultants to get called out to properties for drainage concerns. If you are seeing water pooling in your yard, getting into your home or causing erosion, you may need a professional site visit from our team to engineer a plan & solution. However, if you are simply looking for a way to help dry your yard up quicker, this list is for you! Arborvine installs a lot of engineered rain gardens, which are retention areas for water that are planted with carefully curated species & cultivars that don’t mind wet feet. These native plants are tried & tested to tolerate these conditions & may be a great addition to your home’s landscape!

1. Button Bush

A beautiful Delaware native shrub that has fragrant, white flowers during the summer months. This shrub is sure to attract your favorite pollinators! Buttonbush thrives in damp areas & can even handle mild pooling of water! A great choice as a foundation shrub or specimen feature!

2. Cardinal Flower

A naive perennial that tolerates full sun to partial shade. Use this perennial in a damp area and watch the vibrant flowers that produce stunning red spikes. The best part, these flowers are guaranteed to attract hummingbirds! A must have in a Delaware native landscape!

3. Winterberry

One of Arborvine’s favorite native shrubs to incorporate into our designs! A member of the holly family, this plant has smooth green leaves that shimmer in the summer sun. With cultivars maturing at multiple different sizes, this versatile plant can find a home in almost any landscape! The best part, in the winter, this plant stays true to its name offering one of a kind winter interest! Stunning red berries will remain vibrant all winter long. The perfect pop of color in a serene, snow covered winter landscape! Plus you may find one of your favorite birds snacking on the berries!

4. Joe Pye Weed

A unique perennial that can be used for meadows & perennial gardens. In late summer you can expect large, dusky pink flower heads which are butterfly magnets! Place this plant in a damp area and the roots will thrive! You may find this perennial lining one of Arborvines exquisite rock swales or dry creek beds throughout Delaware & Pennsylvania.

5. Swamp Rose Mallow

A true stunner to add color, texture & movement to your landscape! A mid to late summer bloomer with large, showy pink & white flowers. If you love color, this is a great naive perennial for you. Rose Mallow is not phased by damp soil conditions & will use this excess moisture to grow & thrive!

As April showers continue, the right plant choices can make a meaningful difference in how your landscape handles excess water. Incorporating native, moisture-tolerant plants is a simple and effective way to support better drainage while enhancing the beauty and ecological value of your yard. If you’re dealing with persistent pooling, erosion, or water making its way toward your home, Arborvine’s team is here to help. From thoughtfully designed rain gardens to fully engineered drainage solutions, we work with you every step of the way to create a landscape that performs as well as it looks.

Reach out today to schedule a consultation and get your property ready for the seasons ahead.

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Testimonials

I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with Arborvine! Everything went better than I could have asked for from the quote to the final touches. Kathy was so easy to work with, and the choices she made were exactly what I was looking for without really being able to fully explain what types of shrubs I wanted. She got it perfect on the first try! Even better was the fact that the crew that came out to work on our yard were such great people. They were so friendly at every interaction, and honestly, working with the team again, I’d be interested in specifically requesting that they be the ones to do the next phase!

We got quotes on three separate projects from Kathy, prices fit our budget nicely and it didn’t feel like we were skipping anything to save on cost. Overall, I’m feeling pretty excited for when we move on to the next project!

Kyle Hicks

Hockessin, DE
I would like to recommend Pedro and Alex of L-2 for the great work that they did on the projects that I had set up for them to do. They were very professional and knowledgeable about what I wanted done. They finished in a timely manner and were very polite, I would give Arborvine Landscapeing a call for all of your yard work.

Steve Glackin

Wilmington, DE
Great company, we have been using them for a few years now on a few different projects along with your typical mulching and yard clean ups. The owner Greg was very easy to work with and the office staff is great. On our most recent project we had the pleasure of working with the foreman by the name of Alex who was great and took great pride in his work. We would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a landscaping company in the future.

Richard Lubicky

Wilmington, DE
Arborvine did a great job for us both with yard grading and installing new shrubbery. When we had a problem with one of the trees, they came back to install stakes to help and when one arbor vitae died, our warranty kicked in and they replaced that tree for us. They are professional, responsive and a pleasure to work with. They also have a great newsletter. I highly recommend!

Wendy Turner,

Wilmington, DE
Greg was extremely prompt with all communications and gave us a great plan for our new flower beds. The team completed the job right on schedule – we love the new look!

Lou Camaratta

Wilmington, DE
We hired Arborvine for a landscaping project to remove a large area of poison ivy and replace it with sod. The team arrived on time, worked hard, and consulted with us every step of the way. They did a superb job and we are very satisfied with the outcome. We strongly recommend Arborvine for any landscaping projects you may be putting off.

Robert Carver

Wilmington, DE
Greg and crew were great. Very thorough and detail oriented, hard working, efficient, and constant communication. The family is excited to use the new patio for years to come. Highly recommended.

Brad Jones

Wilmington, DE
If I could give more than 5 stars I would! Greg was great to work with – he came out within a day or so of my inquiry to discuss my project and provide an estimate. He listened to what I was looking to do and wrote up a detailed estimate outlining the scope of the project perfectly; offering to schedule the work to be done much sooner than I expected. His estimate was right within our budget and communication was great (can’t say that about many other contractors!).

The day the work began, his crew arrived early and began right on time. I left a few things in the area where the work was to be done – they cleared the area with care and neatly stacked the things I left behind my shed. Everything they did was meticulous and professional. His crew followed the scope of work to a T.

Greg made sure to ask me ahead of time which path I’d prefer them to use to haul the heavy equipment to the project area. His crew stayed perfectly within the area/path specified to minimize damage to my grass… and they of-course repaired all areas as needed afterwards. Very happy with the results! Can’t beat fair pricing AND professionalism!

Jon Combs

Wilmington, DE
Arborvine Landscaping has done an excellent job each Spring getting our gardens back into shape after the harsh winters. Cleaning the debris, cutting back the plants properly, mulching and cutting the beds — all done well. They have honored their warranty on plants multiple times by replacing a couple of cultivars that did not make it. We have also had Arborvine aerate and seed the lawn — also done well. Greg Chakar has always responded in a timely manner to any question that has been asked.

Jim Davis

Wilmington, DE
I was very happy with my experience with Arbovine from the initial consultation through the completion of the job. They were very professional and did an excellent job! The work at our house included several things including new sod, new shrubs, and a lot of work with rock in the front and back of the yard with landscape edging. It all turned out great and I would certainly use them again for the next time we need work done!

Patrick Hanley

Wilmington, DE