19 Best Raised Bed Garden Plants for Rainy Climates

Raised beds are perfect for growing ornamental plants, offering flexibility and protection. In rainy climates, they provide beneficial drainage that helps plants survive wet storms.

Raised beds come in all shapes and sizes, and this guide includes plants that work in any type of wet bed rain garden. With the native plants, nursery bedding plants, and perennial flowers on this list, there are options for any gardener throughout the rainy areas of North America. 

Annuals are pleasant additions to raised beds, as you can easily replace them when they die. I like to mix ornamental species in planting beds so that perennials, annuals, and small shrubs grow amongst each other. Select a mix of plant types for a medley of textures and flower colors. 

The soil you use is one of the most important factors in this gardening style. If your raised bed is new, provide excellent drainage by mixing chunky materials into its soil. Pine cones, perlite, broken branches, and vermiculite are all good components, as they add aeration to the soil for plant roots to access air and nutrients. 

If you have thick clay or dry and sandy soil, it is an easy problem to fix! Amend it by top-dressing it with a thick layer of organic mulch, like compost. Compost injects the dirt with beneficial microbes, animals, and fungi. It also provides porosity and absorbency to poor soils, which helps ornamental plants establish themselves with ease. 

Once you fully prep your soil, you’re ready to plant! Without further ado, here are the 19 best ornamental plants for raised beds in rainy climates. 

Crown Imperial

	botanical name Fritillaria imperialis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-4 feet
	hardiness zones 5-8

A gorgeous old-world plant, crown imperial stands out in raised bed rain gardens. Its fragrant fleshy stem and bulb smell musky when bruised or crushed, and some consider the smell offensive! The red, orange, and yellow flowers contrast beautifully with the bright green foliage. This perennial bulb is a must-have in any plant collectors’ garden.

Grow crown imperial from bulbs. Bulbs are available online and at big-box nurseries. This plant undergoes dormancy during summertime and loses its foliage while also becoming drought-tolerant. It takes less water during this time but is still tolerant of wet conditions. 

In fall, winter, and spring crown imperial appreciates consistently moist soil. This makes it an ideal plant for rainy climates, especially those with warm summers. Plant crown imperial in Full sun for best-growing results if your garden is cool year-round.

Deer Fern

	botanical name Blechnum spicant
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 9-18 inches
	hardiness zones 4-8

This list isn’t complete without a fern! Deer ferns are moisture-loving shade plants that excel in wet raised beds. They appreciate a moist soil culture, good drainage, and sun protection. Plant a few and watch as they grow to a three-foot-wide clump of fern foliage. 

Deer ferns are deciduous plants, and they enter dormancy for the winter. During dormancy and the growing season, they love moisture and excess rainfall. They naturally grow in coastal forests under the shade of giant Douglas fir, redwoods, and pine trees. Grow deer ferns in a similarly shaded area in a raised bed and they’ll thank you with rapid growth. 

Plant deer ferns in fall or spring when the weather is cool, wet, and mild. Buy live plants from nurseries, or order spores online and sprinkle them on damp soil during fall. 

‘Ascot Rainbow’ Spurge

	botanical name Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1.5-3 feet
	hardiness zones 6-9

The name ‘Ascot Rainbow says it all for this plant! This Euphorbia grows in shades of pink, green, and purple. In the spring, yellow and red flowers bloom profusely off the tips of the stems. This perennial is a showstopper in a rainy climate raised bed. 

Give this plant sun or shade and plenty of water during the growing season. Surprisingly, ‘Ascot Rainbow’ tolerates drought and can grow in many soil types. In freezing climates, it may lose its evergreen leaves. Wait until spring to see if the plant survives, as it usually sprouts back up when the weather warms.

This variety cannot grow from seed and is available at nurseries or online. You can also propagate this species from an existing plant. Take six-inch cuttings in spring, cut the blooms off, and place the cutting in moist soil. Keep them in dappled shade, and they’ll root in a few weeks.

Jacob’s Ladder

	botanical name Polemonium caeruleum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-3 feet
	hardiness zones 4-8

Jacob’s ladder is noninvasive, dainty, and delightful in a shady, wet raised bed. Each spring, spikes of purple flowers appear, and they’re fragrant! This perennial wildflower hails from Europe and Asia, but it thrives in rainy, cool climates in North America. 

This plant loves shade, moisture, and nutrients. Plant it alongside companions with similar needs, like hellebores, hostas, and deer fern. It will spread over time and form a clump while its seeds help it spread into new areas. Cut the spent flowers if you’d like to prevent them from reseeding.

Jacob’s ladder propagates easily from seed or divisions. Plant seeds in early spring and keep the soil moist. They should sprout in two to four weeks. Divide plants in early spring, or immediately after their flowering period. 

Balsam

	botanical name Impatiens balsamina
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3 feet
	hardiness zones 1-13

An annual for all zones, balsam surprises you with delightful flowers, foliage, and seed pods. Their blooms range from white to pink and red, and they are a boon to bees and pollinators. The flowers form seed pods that explode when you touch them. 

Grow this annual in a sunny raised bed. Balsam thrives with dappled shade in zones with heat waves. In areas without winter freeze, it spreads rapidly and readily. In all other climates, frost kills them, and their seeds struggle to germinate. 

Plant balsam after the danger of frost has passed. I grow these annuals from seed indoors in 5” pots and transplant them outside when the weather warms. They appreciate the head start!

Hellebore

	botanical name Helleborus spp.
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 1-2 feet
	hardiness zones 5-8

There is a hellebore for everyone, regardless of your favorite color. That’s because hellebores grow in all colors, patterns, and forms. Many different species hybridize readily and create new varieties. All forms of hellebores sprout clusters of flowers that nod down in late winter and early spring.

Love black flowers? Try ‘Midnight Ruffles.’ If you’re more of a green flower lover, try any variety of Helleborus x sternii. This hybrid’s variegated leaves and pink undertones make it a striking plant in a wet raised bed. 

Hellebores appreciate the moisture of a raised bed rain garden, but they shrivel with too much sun. Transplant them into the raised bed in fall or after flowering is complete in spring.

Common Daisy

	botanical name Bellis perennis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6 inches
	hardiness zones 4-8

This common plant deserves to grow in a raised bed because of its hardiness and natural variability. It sprouts spoon-shaped leaves and white, red, and pink flowers. This perennial makes an impact when it spreads and roams. 

Nowadays, tons of showy cultivars exist with different characteristics. ‘Alba Plena’ has white flowers with many layers of petals, and ‘Floro Pleno’ is similar but red. ‘Double Pink’ grows cute little flowers with double petals in pink and white.

Grow common daisies from seeds or divisions. Cultivars are varietal selections and only available at nurseries and online, however, the wild English species grows from Alaska south to California, and east through the northern states to New York. It can be invasive in rainy climates, so avoid it if you’d rather not have creepers. 

Sweet Violet

	botanical name Viola odorata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-8 inches
	hardiness zones 4-9

The violet of history, sweet violet fills literature, paintings, and herbalist books from the past. It loves shady areas, and it blooms purple and fragrant flowers when it’s happy. It spreads by seeds and runners and fills empty spots in a raised bed. 

Some cultivars exhibit unique characteristics, like ‘Rosina’ with pink flowers. ‘Royal Robe’ sprouts flowers of a darker purple than the species. 

Although sweet violets excel under shade, they also tolerate full sun conditions in cool-summer climates. Grow this perennial from seeds, runners, or divisions. Plant seeds in early spring after all danger of frost has passed, and keep them moist until they sprout.

Pansy

	botanical name Viola x wittrockiana
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-10 inches
	hardiness zones 6-10

Related to sweet violets, pansies are bigger and showier versions of their relatives. Their flowers reach four inches wide in some varieties, varying in shades with single or multiple colors on the same flower. My favorite is the purple and blue mixes, although there are red, yellow, orange, white, and pink ones. 

Pansies thrive with the extra moisture rainy climates provide; they excel where they are consistently moist. In cool summer zones, they tolerate full sun, although they also excel in partial shade. Pansies are technically perennials, although their vigor typically declines after a year. In most garden zones, they grow as annuals. 

Plant transplants in fall in mild winter zones, and in spring in zones five and below. In particularly warm zones nine and above, plant them when temperatures are at their coolest for the year.

‘Jacob Cline’ Bee Balm

	botanical name Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5 feet
	hardiness zones 3-9

A prolific bee balm with bright red blooms, ‘Jacob Kline’ attracts hummingbirds and pollinators. It excels in rainy raised bed gardens and covers bare areas with strappy green leaves and red flowers. 

‘Jacob Cline’ is a descendant of the eastern North American native species Monarda didyma. It has a high powdery mildew resistance, and it blooms the whole summer when you deadhead the spent flowers. It also struggles to form seeds as readily as other varieties and will stay confined to the area you plant it in. This perennial does spread through underground runners, so be sure to pull any new stems you see growing where you’d like them not to. 

Find ‘Jacob Cline’ online or at local nurseries. If it’s unavailable, other red flowering varieties exist, like ‘Adam,’ ‘Mahogany,’ and ‘Cambridge Scarlet.’ 

Siberian Bugloss

	botanical name Brunnera macrophylla
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-1.5 feet
	hardiness zones 3-8

Before growing huge green leaves, this perennial sprouts flowers that look like forget-me-nots. Bluish-purplish and tiny, they adorn stems that give way to the foliage. A perfect plant for cool, wet climates, Siberian bugloss appreciates well-draining soil and consistent moisture.

Variegated forms like ‘Jack Frost’ and ‘Queen of Hearts’ stun onlookers with white leaves laced in green. They shine under the shade, and they are the perfect accent plant among other taller perennials in a wet, shady raised bed. 

Transplant a cultivar or grow the species type from seed in early spring after a month of cold stratification. 

Plantain Lily

	botanical name Hosta spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-3 feet
	hardiness zones 3-9

Plantain lilies, also known as hostas, are valuable foliage plants in the raised bed. They grow heart-shaped leaves with pronounced veins, and thousands of cultivars exist. From dwarf hostas smaller than a foot to gigantic hostas three feet tall and six feet wide, there are options for containers of any size. 

Want a giant? Try ‘Sum and Substance.’ If you’d like to plant a bunch of smaller hostas, try ‘Blue Mouse Ears.’ This cultivar has blue-gray leaves, and it stays small as an adult. Variegated foliage lovers should try ‘Great Expectations’ or ‘Gold Standard.’

Hostas spread over time and form lovely clumps. Transplant divisions of a friend’s clump, or find varieties online and at nurseries. 

Poached-Eggs

	botanical name Limnanthes douglasii
	sun requirements Full sun
	height .5-1 foot
	hardiness zones 2-12

This plant’s name precedes itself—it is an annual that grows superb white and yellow flowers that resemble poached eggs. Native to California and Oregon, it thrives throughout North America where winters are cold and summers are warm. 

Poached-eggs reseed in favorable conditions. Plant seeds in fall, during late winter, or early spring. They quickly germinate and mature as the days lengthen in spring and summer. In zones with summer rains, this plant’s bloom period lasts until cool weather arrives. 

Rose

	botanical name Rosa spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-20 feet
	hardiness zones 3-11

One of the most grown flowering shrubs worldwide, roses have been the gardener’s friend for centuries. There are thousands of varieties available, from dwarf types to climbers that reach over 20 feet tall! I recommend small, disease-resistant roses for beds in rainy climates. That way, they stand up to the diseases that thrive with excess moisture, and they fit perfectly among other plants.

A fun yellow variety is ‘Sunspot,’ and a gorgeous red type is ‘Red Ribbons.’ Climbing roses also fare well in raised beds with extra support from a trellis or fence. Grow any rose you’d like to, so long as they’re disease-resistant. 

Roses can grow from seed (though it’s a slow process!), and I have a seed-grown rose happily living inside a raised bed. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it is constantly rainy, and the rose loves the conditions. Have fun experimenting with growing your own roses by planting cold-stratified seeds half an inch deep in early spring, and keep them moist. They’ll sprout after a few days, although sometimes they take longer than three weeks. 

Highbush Blueberries

	botanical name Vaccinium corymbosum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-12 feet
	hardiness zones 3-8

Blueberry bushes turn extra rainfall into sweet and juicy blueberries! They are the perfect shrub for a wet raised bed, as they are ornamental, tidy, and productive. White urn-shaped flowers sprout in spring and give way to blueberry fruit. Green foliage decorates the shrub until fall, when it turns a spectacular mix of red, orange, and yellow. 

‘Duke’ is a favorite variety of mine, as the blueberries are larger than most other types. A fun new variety is ‘Pink Lemonade,’ which tastes like its name! 

Plant blueberry shrubs in fall in mild winter zones, and early spring in areas with hard winter frost. Keep shrubs well watered throughout the year and they’ll make delicious fruit for free!

‘Millenium’ Ornamental Onion

	botanical name Allium ‘Millenium’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-1.5 feet
	hardiness zones 5-8

‘Millenium’ is an ornamental allium that stuns visitors to the garden with bright pink onion-like blooms. It grows like the types at the grocery store, although it is a much showier plant. This perennial attracts pollinators to the garden, and it offers nectar, pollen, and foliage to local wildlife. 

Plant ‘Millenium’ onion in early spring after the danger of frost has passed. It thrives with moisture during the growing season and loves growing in Full sun. Plant it alongside garden roses, poached eggs, and crown imperial.

Shortspur Seablush

	botanical name Plectritis congesta
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-20 inches
	hardiness zones 5-9

Like poached-eggs, shortspur seablush is a Pacific Northwest native annual that thrives with consistent moisture and direct to partial sun. It heralds the coming of other flowers in early spring with red-pink blooms atop lettuce-like foliage. 

This delicate plant reseeds readily and thrives when undisturbed. Place clusters in a remote part of the raised bed or situate them between other perennials and annuals. Where the weather is wet, seablush is proliferous.

Grow this native from seeds. Plant them during the fall season so they undergo proper cold stratification, and they’ll bloom during spring. 

Tulip

	botanical name Tulipa spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to part shade
	height 1-2 feet
	hardiness zones 3-8

Tulips are essential for raised beds in rainy climates. Their cup-shaped flowers announce the coming of spring, and they typically show up a week or two after daffodils. These perennial bulbs require little care after planting, and countless varieties thrive in wet conditions.

My two favorite varieties are ‘Pittsburgh’ and ‘Flaming Flag.’ They both have purple in them, with ‘Pittsburgh’ being all purple and ‘Flaming Flag’ having stripes of purple and white. Look to a mail-order catalog for the newest, best varieties. 

In fall, plant tulip bulbs at least six inches deep. They’ll sprout during early spring. In zones nine and above, tulips do grow, but they function as annuals. Buy bulbs in fall, keep them refrigerated for the winter, and plant them in spring. 

Butterfly Flower Iris

	botanical name Iris japonica
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 1 foot
	hardiness zones 7-9

A special iris with fringes, the butterfly flower mixes well in a raised bed with other spreaders. Its swordlike green leaves and clusters of white iris flowers fit nicely among hellebores, sweet violets, and Siberian bugloss. Plant one today, and you’ll have butterfly flowers for decades!

The butterfly flower is an evergreen iris originating from Asia. It thrives with consistent moisture, well-draining soil, and partial shade. It handles two to six hours of direct sunlight daily and rewards growers with endlessly blooming white flowers.

This perennial iris struggles to set seed and easily propagates through underground roots. Find it at nurseries, online, or dig up parts of existing clusters with roots in fall. Plant them, and let the winter and spring rains settle them in.