Best Plants To Grow In Clay Soil - In a perfect world, we would all have rich, loamy soil to grow our favorite flowers, perennials, shrubs and trees. But the soil is clay for many meters. It is typically clay if the soil sticks to shoes and shovels like putty when wet and cracks when dry. But you can test the soil through your local university's co-op extension. (Find yours here.)
Fortunately, many plants thrive in clay! Clay is more fertile than many types of soil, such as sand, and tends to hold water longer. So while digging isn't as much fun, if you choose the right plants, they'll do well in your native clay soil. Here are some of our favorite annuals, perennials and shrubs for clay soil:
Best Plants To Grow In Clay Soil
With thousands of varieties, this wonderful perennial can be found in every color of the rainbow! They are tolerant of many soil types, easy to propagate so you can transplant them elsewhere in the garden or share them with friends, and are low-maintenance flowers that bloom from spring to early summer, depending on where you live. I bet you can't plant just one variety!
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Daylilies are the ultimate low-maintenance perennial. Although each flower only blooms for one day (hence the name!), several flowers appear on each stem. They come in a surprising variety of sizes and colors, with single, double or ruffled petals.
Lilac is an old-fashioned shrub with beautiful, fragrant pink or purple tips in mid-spring. Look for varieties that rebloom later in the season. The new dwarf sizes fit perfectly into small spaces.
Hostas are reliable, hardy perennials that come in every size and color imaginable. They are generally thought of as shade lovers, but they actually like a little morning sun. Be aware that deer love them!
This beautiful shrub blooms in spring with tubular flowers in white, bright pink and deep red. Some new types bloom multiple times, so you get color all season long. Hummingbirds love this bush.
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This smiley-faced perennial is a must because it blooms for months, from mid-summer to fall. It does not mind either heat or cold, so it is a versatile plant in many different growing zones.
Also known as Echinacea, flowers offer beautiful, rich colors ranging from white to hot pink to the deepest coral, making them a great addition to any garden. Bees and butterflies love this perennial plant.
For low-maintenance flowers that last all summer, this shrub has a beautiful mounding shape that works well in mass plantings or mixed borders. It is also extremely cold-resistant.
As the name suggests, this perennial is a favorite of bees and many other pollinators. It comes in various shades of pink and purple and blooms for weeks!
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This bushy plant with incredibly bright colors is extremely hardy! It doesn't mind heat or drought. Annual in cold climates, perennial in warm climates.
Petunias have been popular for generations because they come in every color of the rainbow. Look for hybrid types that don't need to be pruned (removal of spent flowers) to bloom through hard frosts.
Sage is a magnet for pollinators, including bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Hardy perennial with graceful pink or purple flower spikes that last for weeks.
This shade-loving perennial is much more beautiful than its name suggests! Its feathery flowers are attractive and resistant to deer and rabbits.
Top 10 Plants For Growing In Clay Soil
A variety of sedums grow in clay soil. Look for low-growing varieties in front of edges or tall varieties that bloom in late summer when the rest of the garden begins to fade. Just make sure it has good drainage as it doesn't like to get wet.
Aronia, also known by its charming name, is an outstanding shrub! It has small white flowers in the spring, followed by attractive berries and red foliage in the fall.
This shrub has frilly white, pink, purple, or blue flowers that arrive in late summer when everything else is gone. Newer varieties have a more columnar shape and some are smaller in size, so they fit into a variety of garden environments.
Also known as sneezeweed (not because it causes allergies, but because it was once used for hay fever!), this sunny perennial is a fun and must-have plant in any garden. It blooms from mid-summer to autumn and does not mind heat and humidity.
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Arricca Elin SanSone has written on topics such as health and lifestyle, prevention, rural life, women's day, etc. She is passionate about gardening, baking, reading and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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This general list is a starting point for finding plants for your clay soil garden. Although the listed plants prefer or tolerate clay conditions, it is always useful to find out about the nutritional status of the soil (do a soil test) and add compost if necessary. There are several soil tips here.
The growing zones and conditions listed are general. Each species or hybrid may have unique needs, which you can find on the plant label.
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Best Plants That Grow In Clay Soil
To state the obvious: it is not easy to grow in clay soil. It's thick, it doesn't drain well - unless it's on a slope, everything runs off. It may be impossible to dig and will not allow planting without some changes.
My first garden was in a huge clay deposit - much denser than anything my neighbors had to deal with - and the garden design was difficult. It's hard enough to be a new gardener without growing experience, but combining that with impossible soil is a real challenge.
At the time, the prevailing advice was to dig deep, turn the soil over, then replace it with compost and peat.
When garden soil is this dense, there is no way to change it. It would take an impossible amount of clay soil to start making a dent in it. And it only takes one winter for the seams to disappear and the clay to grow back. A formidable opponent with deep pockets.
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First, I built level beds in all the sloped areas (which made up most of the yard) so they wouldn't wash away my efforts. This idea should not be ignored. We can only make or buy so much good compost, so do your best to keep it where it's needed. Its contents can do wonders.
This meant putting good compost right on top and building it deep enough to plant without having to shovel it into the clay below.
I realize that most clay gardens are not as hardy as mine, but I think the principle is useful for any type of clay (or other impossible soil): build good soil and don't waste resources trying to change the innate nature of the beast . .
If you're reading this, you probably already know or suspect that your soil is mostly clay. But there can be many types of soil in a yard.
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This shows a simple method of testing soil quality. Sand, silt or clay. Make some samples if there are discrepancies. All you need is a soil sample, water and a jar.
It is especially useful to have a soil test done by an accredited laboratory to find out the nutrient requirements of the soil. By testing macro and micronutrient levels, they can advise on exactly what – and how much – to add for happier plants.
We tried one of those cheap home soil test kits (see it on Amazon) and the results weren't accurate or helpful.
Soil | The top layer of soil in which plants grow is a black or dark brown material that is usually a mixture of organic debris, clay, and rock particles.
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Soil pH | Knowing the level (which may change) is for information only, not a call to action. Most soils fall into the 5-8 range and can accommodate a wide variety of plants. Clay soil is heavily criticized by gardeners and homeowners everywhere, and no wonder: it's heavy, sticky and difficult to work with. clay
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