1 Stone Bamboo (Phyllostachys Angusta) Close Up Of Culms of Stone Bamboo In Natural Sunlight
Stone Bamboo thrives well in a moist soil and I have found that even when bamboo remains too moist for too long and loses some of its rhizomes, this helps to add more humus to the soil and the bamboo plant grows new rhizomes. This is a beautiful, yellow/olive-colored bamboo that will need to be kept in check with root pruning, a root barrier, a trench which will become a moat during a heavy rain, or by planting your bamboo in a planter.
2 Giant Leaf Bamboo (Indocalamus Tessellatus) Leaf of a 1 gallon Giant Leaf Bamboo Plant being grown in a container. Works wonderfully as a tropical-looking house plant and will survive overwatering as long as the roots have access to plenty of air. 1 Gallon Giant Leaf Bamboo Plant Freshly Arrived! Sharp Point of Giant Leaf Bamboo Rhizome After Growing As A House Plant Root Bound Indocalamus Tessellatus after being removed from its one gallon planter
Giant Leaf Bamboo is often used to reinforce the banks of water bodies including lakes and streams, making it highly tolerant of very moist soils and water-loving. As with other bamboos, its root system will help knit the soil together to keep it from being washed away during a vigorous rain. This is a very helpful quality to look for in your rain garden plants as they make sure the water stays to sink into the ground, keeping more water for the longer term in your rain garden and in your landscape.
3 Sweet Shoot Bamboo (Phyllostachys Dulcis) Small Sweet Shoot Bamboo Growing Rhizomes Rhizome and Roots Of Sweet Shoot Bamboo
A gorgeous, tall-growing bamboo that gets to about 40 feet. Its tall canopy helps to eliminate the impact of rain on the ground beneath, slowing it down and also preventing it from washing your soil away. Sweet Shoot Bamboo is also the most popular bamboo for its tasty shoots though lots of bamboo plants have palatable shoots.
4 Taro Taro, Edible Elephant Ear growing in the permaculture food forest edible taro rising from deep back to eden mulch after winter in edible landscape taro growing in early spring pushing up from deep mulch Back to Eden Garden
Taro is a great choice for a rain garden that hasn't been well-amended and may be in a heavy clay soil that turns into a pond in heavy rains. Taro grows well in bogs and will thrive in those wet areas of your yard, which will help them to grow even faster, giving you more leaves and roots for your table.
5 Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium Latifolium) Inland Sea Oats have roots that keep soil in a GRIP. Great for preventing and stopping erosion. Inland Sea Oats root systems are great for soil stabilization The extensive root system of Inland Sea Oats Bareroot Inland Sea Oats Plant With Robust Root System
This lovely grass is often sold as an ornamental but also produces oat seeds that are edible. Although it is drought tolerant, it also enjoys moist soils, which will help it to grow even faster, producing a lovely meadow of tall, soft grass and a lovely network of roots and rhizomes to help sink water into your rain garden and keep soil right in place.
7 Asparagus Asparagus spears growing on the asparagus plant in the edible landscape Asparagus, Comfrey, and Taro at the edge of natural duck pond in edible landscape large asparagus spears freshly harvested from permaculture food forest asparagus companion planted with strawberries and a japanese maple tree two asparagus spears growing beside a lion’s head japanese maple tree Asparagus Spears Freshly Harvested From the Permaculture Food Forest
Asparagus has continued to surprise me with its tolerance for, and love of, heavy watering and water-logged soils. Asparagus plants have deep, thick roots that go down far and create lovely paths in the ground for water to sink into during rain time. Plant a whole hedge of asparagus crowns in your rain garden to create a green wall of this wonderful vegetable.
8 Bananas
Banana plants have one of the highest water-holding capabilities of any plant. The thick trunks and large leaves are great for using as mulch and stay joist for long periods time, helping you to put all that good rain water to use in helping newly planted plants have a consistent supply of moisture while getting established. Banana plants also need lots of water in order to grow as quickly as possible to get to maturity and produce fruit.