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

So very glad that we had the opportunity to work with Greg and his team to upgrade the gardens at our new house in North Wilmington as well as get a VERY thorough Fall clean up. Fabulous design, and redesign too, when our plans needed to change.

His team, headed by Alex who answered all of our questions about maintenance as well as the day to day work, were very responsive as well as conscientious. They were on top of things after they left as well – answering our email questions about watering in a very timely fashion to make sure that our investment was taken care of.

Would highly recommend them to anyone for installing new gardens as well as maintaining and cleaning up what you have.

Cheryl Kuchler

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
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
Working with Arborvine was great and we really could not be happier. All of the work was completed in the time estimated and the same workers were here each day from morning until evening focused on the job. The work itself exceeded our expectations. We knew we wanted a paved area outside for a patio, but really had no idea beyond that and were expecting something plain. They laid beautiful stone, redid the garden area, and made a retaining wall that is the perfect place for a fire pit. It was all designed by them. We have gotten so many compliments and even other contractors have been impressed. Would definitely work with them again and highly recommend!

Steve Hague

Wilmington, 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
Working with Greg & his crew was a smooth & seamless experience. I live in a new build and needed a front walkway & Greg was able to bring our vision to life. Even our neighbors all had positive comments on the work that was done. We also had some landscaping done (installing flowerbeds + mulch, plus pruning/trimming of some tree branches). It was a bit pricey but, in the end, it’s definitely worth it since now our property has higher curb appeal. There are also warranties too, so Greg/his team will come out to check on the walkway in a few years. Greg is responsive and communicates in a timely manner, which was a big plus. Super professional and friendly. Will definitely hire him again for future projects.

Zef Bergado

Wilmington, DE
We used Arborvine for a design/installation of front and side landscaping beds including new bed shape, sod, lighting and all new shrubs and perennials. 4 full day project. Excellent workmanship and punctual, pleasant and DETAILED landscaping workers. We will use for all future needs!

Kathleen L

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
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Arborvine Landscaping on multiple occasions. Whether it was mulching beds or building a new hardscape, Greg and his team were always professional and respectful of my property. Their attention to detail is superb, as well as their communication. I highly recommend hiring Arborvine Landscaping for your next outdoor living project!

Chris Rossetti

Wilmington, DE
We had a great experience with Arborvine. From the detailed suggestions we got from Kathy on what solutions would work best for what we needed, to Angel who worked so hard in our yard, to Erica in the office who made our project plan invoice quickly & easy to review, sign off on and pay. It was convenient, detailed & professional. Exactly what we had hoped for. Our yard is now well on its way to looking the way we’d like. I would highly recommend Arborvine if you want a personalized & professional landscaping job done. Big or small, they will be able to take care of what you need. We’ll be back for sure for the next phase!

Robyn Poore

Wilmington, DE