Water Management
Plants that help with drainage, retention, or filtration of water
What Are Water Management?
Water management plants help solve drainage problems, filter greywater, stabilize slopes, prevent erosion, or absorb excess water in rain gardens and bioswales. These plants are essential for regenerative water management - slowing, spreading, and sinking water into the landscape rather than allowing it to run off. They help recharge groundwater, prevent flooding, and improve water quality.
Benefits
- Reduces flooding and erosion on slopes
- Filters pollutants from stormwater and greywater
- Recharges groundwater instead of allowing runoff
- Stabilizes stream banks and pond edges
- Creates habitat for aquatic wildlife
- Many water plants are edible or provide other yields
Example Plants
Willow
Salix spp.
Absorbs large amounts of water. Stabilizes stream banks. Roots filter pollutants. Coppices for renewable wood. Fast-growing. Provides early bee forage.
Cattail
Typha latifolia
Wetland plant for ponds, bioswales. Filters water. Edible roots and shoots. Provides wildlife habitat. Seeds for insulation. Can be invasive - manage.
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Native prairie grass. Deep roots prevent erosion. Tolerates wet or dry sites. Filters runoff in rain gardens. Ornamental. Biomass for compost.
Daylily
Hemerocallis spp.
Tolerates wet soils. Dense roots prevent erosion. Edible flowers and tubers. Attractive blooms. Low maintenance. Spreads to cover slopes.
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
Tree that thrives in waterlogged soils. Stabilizes shorelines. Provides habitat. Beautiful fall color. Long-lived. Deciduous conifer.
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Implementation Tips
Design swales and rain gardens on contour to slow water flow
Plant deep-rooted species to stabilize slopes and prevent erosion
Use wetland plants in bioswales and greywater systems
Combine water-loving plants with mulch to maximize infiltration
Avoid planting water-hungry species in dry climates
Create ponds and wetlands to store water and create habitat
Allow some areas to flood seasonally - plant accordingly
Ready to Explore More?
Discover the other 13 functional plant categories and build your regenerative garden.