An increase in development and urban sprawl has created a need to develop more wildlife-friendly landscapes. All wildlife need food, shelter (cover), water, and space to survive. A rain garden can fulfill some of those needs by providing habitat typically lacking in an urban or backyard environment. A rain garden is a landscaped depression designed to capture stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs and roads and runoff from compacted turfgrass. See HGIC Factsheet 1864: Rain Garden Plants: Introduction for additional information on rain gardens.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly.
Samantha Porzelt, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Food
Native plants play an essential role in the local food web by providing food for wildlife. Soft mast species such as American beautyberry or winterberry make excellent plant options for rain gardens. Soft mast refers to fleshy fruit that some plants produce and is a desirable food source for many wildlife species. Many of the native plants that are well adapted to rain gardens are flowering species that provide nectar for pollinators, and they also act as host species for numerous Lepidoptera species (butterflies and moths). In addition, when these flowers go to seed, they act as a food source for songbirds like the American goldfinch.
Shelter/Cover
Rain gardens provide additional height to a landscape that helps smaller species of wildlife like anoles or frogs avoid predators. Cover or shelter can often be lacking in an urban environment; a rain garden can provide this. Foliage, dead leaves, stems, and branches can act as a form of cover or shelter for wildlife. Stems of native plants also provide crucial wintering and nesting habitats for many of our native solitary pollinator species, like mason bees. Some grasses that can thrive in a rain garden can provide nesting materials for birds to make their nests.
Common Buckeye Butterfly on Mistflower.
Samantha Porzelt, ©2024, Clemson Extension
Water
Rain gardens offer temporary pooling areas for birds, mammals, and insects. They also can provide puddling areas for butterflies and areas for amphibians and reptiles to keep cool. Rain gardens are designed to drain within 24-72 hours, usually 24 hours, so you do not have to worry about attracting undesirable insects like mosquitoes.
Gray Treefrog on American Beautyberry.
Photo by Peter Rea/USFWS
Space
Rain gardens make excellent wildlife habitats due to their ability to mimic the natural absorption and filtering capacities of forests and meadows. When rain gardens are installed correctly, their plants help reduce runoff by absorbing water from impervious surfaces with their roots. The soil in the rain garden, which typically consists of compost and mulch, also helps filter pollutants out of the water. Rain gardens also create diversity in a landscape that might not typically exist in a yard or other urban areas. Normally, yards and urban areas have a monoculture of grass and concrete and very little diversity of plant life. Native plants are utilized in rain gardens because of their many benefits. They are adapted to local environmental conditions, making them a resilient choice for rain gardens that experience both flood and drought conditions. Native plants also have deeper roots than turfgrass, making them a great choice for rain gardens where stormwater is absorbed and infiltrated into the ground. Rain gardens allow for varying vertical and horizontal structures of plants that provide greater variety and habitat types for wildlife. The greater the diversity of habitat in an area, the greater the number of wildlife species that can utilize it.
For more information on rain gardens, visit the Clemson Extension Carolina Rain Garden Initiative website or consider taking the Clemson Extension Master Rain Gardener Course.
