Arboretum in Northeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Keep It Clean!
Rain Gardens at the U.S. National Arboretum
The urban environment is dirty, and rain washes pollutants like motor oil and metals into the water system. This parking lot drains into five rain gardens, which trap pollutants and keep them out of streams and rivers.
Rain can fall so quickly during a storm that the soil can't absorb all of it. This sudden rush of water can erode stream banks and destroy wildlife habitat. Rain gardens collect this runoff before it damages the environment. The water slowly works its way through the gardens' layers, preventing flooding and protecitng nearby waterways.
[Captions:]
The U.S. National Arboretum installed five rain gardens in 2016. Their locations are shown in yellow on this map.
Excavation and installation of the drainage system.
A season's growth outside the Administrative Building.
Erected by U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 2016.
Location. 38° 54.729′ N, 76° 58.225′ W.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Foeniculum vulgare (within shouting distance of this marker); Verbascum thapsus (within shouting distance of this marker); Hesperis matronalis (within shouting distance of this marker); Lysimachia punctata (within shouting distance of this marker); Adiantum padatum (within shouting distance of this marker); Arctium lappa (within shouting distance of this marker); Indogofera tinctoria (within shouting
Additional keywords. landscape architecture
Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
