Question
My backyard and patio collect water when it rains heavily.  I'm located in Houston so that is often.  I recently purchased this house and the previous owner installed gutters that feed a 4" pipe that leads to street.  The pipe is working, but the downspouts were filled with leaves.  I've cleaned all gutters and downspouts as well as install leaf guards.  I'm looking into installing 1 or 2 drain boxes near the back of the house.  I was wondering if I could plant something that would add to the aesthetics as well as help with the drainage problem.  I do not get a lot of sunlight in this area.

Answer
Richard:
First, I'm glad to hear of some one thinking out of the box. Unfortunately in Houston your problem is a short term volume problem and most plants that can help are more long term. In other wolds you need to deal with water mainly for the brief 30 minutes to an hour while it is pouring down. Grass is the best for large volume in a short period of time. Other than that, there really is no plant that will aid in uptake of water in a short term period.
If you are considering plants for erosion control then most, especially ground covers will aid in controlling the problem.

Another option is a large dry well- a hole lined with filter fabric and filled with gravel, then covered over.
Google "Dry well" for detailed descriptions.

Best of Luck
Sean J Murphy, LA,ISA, LEED AP
Please check out my blogs and articles on landscape topics like this on my websites.
http://www.seanjmurphy.com
http://amenityarchitects.com