Clay soil is heavy, compacted, and difficult to work with. But planting a garden in clay soil is not as limiting or challenging as you might think. With a little effort and some understanding about the 17 plants that grow best in clay soil, you’ll be able to create a garden that makes your neighbors envious.
Identifying clay soil
Determining your garden’s soil type is the most crucial step in knowing what kind of plants will thrive there. Soil is composed of different ratios of sand, clay, and silt particles. Most soil types contain all three of these components in different percentages.
Sand is the largest soil particle, clay is the smallest, while silt stays in the middle. Clay soil consists of very fine, small particles that adhere closely, allowing a limited amount of water and air to pass through. This quality makes clay soil heavy and leads to poor drainage.
Identifying clay soil is easy. If you’ve observed water puddling up on the ground instead of seeping in, chances are that you’ve got clay soil. Clay soil also tends to be sticky in texture, so it clings to your shoes or crusts and cracks when the weather is dry.
Other than that, you can also test your soil to be sure through your local university coop extension. To understand clay soil better, let’s take a look at some of its advantages and challenges:
Benefits of clay soil
- Clay retains water really well, which makes it drought resistant and also allows plants to extend deeper, thicker, and stronger roots.
- Clay soil is rich in nutrients. Just like water, nutrients get plenty of closely packed soil particles to bond onto and stay available for plants for a longer period. This quality comes in handy during dry spells.
- Sticky clay soil can attract minerals such as ammonium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
- Clay is heavy and immovable, which means it’s great at resisting wind and water erosion which saves the soil from low nutrient density and mass depletion.
Challenges of clay soil
- Clay tends to get extremely hard and crack when it gets dry.
- One of the tricky things about clay soil is that it has a limited air-holding capacity. This makes it difficult for some plants to grow as the roots cannot absorb sufficient water and nutrients due to restricted airflow.
- Clay is dense and makes it harder for plant roots to thread through the soil for proper growth.
- Clay soil tends to be alkaline and susceptible to frost heave in winter.
Why is it hard to work with clay soil?
Clay is great at holding in moisture due to its closely packed, tiny particles, but it’s difficult to grow plants because it gets dense and sticky. Some other reasons why it’s tough to grow plants in clay soil include:
- Clay soil gets waterlogged easily and stays wet in rainy weather. The moisture-retaining quality of clay soil also leads to poor drainage and impermeability.
- The moisture trapped by clay drowns roots and leads to poor plant growth during the rainy season.
- Clay tends to get compacted and hard when it isn’t waterlogged or heavy. You’ll see a crust atop clay in the spring, which can make it hard for new seeds to sprout. Dry and tightly packed clay can even bend or break tools.
- It is hard to till or break apart clay because of its high density. Maneuvering and setting up a garden with pots of clay soil plants can be challenging.
How to improve clay soil?
The most critical issue with clay soil is poor drainage. This can lead to a variety of problems, but it’s still solvable. When you “improve” clay soil, you’re simply making it easier to work with. This includes gradually introducing substances that enhance the fertility, texture, and drainage of the soil.
Here are a few ways to improve your clay soil:
- Add organic matter to your clay. Leaf mold, compost, rotted bark chips, and coarse grit are some great options for it. Dig the soil and incorporate lots of bulky organic matter but be careful not to put too much tree bark or wood chippings. This is because the kind of bacteria needed to break down wood can deplete the soil of nitrogen. Lawn Love has an excellent guide on amendments for clay soil that can help.
- Add thick layers of mulch if your garden is already established and it’s not possible to dig over it. A layer of mulch like leaf mould and compost in the summer helps to retain moisture and prevents the usual cracking and drying of clay. It will reduce compaction, increase aeration and also improve overall soil structure and quality.
- Add gypsum to clump the soil together and increase drainage. It will also make clay soil easier to work with.
- Plant cover crops that will naturally add organic matter to the soil when they drop their leaves. This automatically loosens the soil with the gradual release of microorganisms and plant nutrients.
Plants that do well in clay soil
Some clay-happy plants include:
1. Aster
Asters are pretty self-sufficient plants and easy to grow. They practically take care of themselves through the summer and bloom vigorously later in the season. It bears beautiful daisy-shaped flowers that sit atop long stems and are perfect for adding color to a garden.
These nectar-rich flowers make a dependable and favored food source for bees, monarch butterflies, and other such beneficial pollinators and insects.
- Botanical name: Aster
- Plant type: Flowering perennial
- Flower color: Purple, pink, blue, white, red
- Mature plant height: 3-6 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Late summer to fall
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun with well-draining soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
2. Bearded iris
The bearded iris is definitely a garden favorite with its easy-growing nature and a wide variety of colors. They’re pretty low maintenance as their rhizomes multiply fairly quickly and have no issue competing for a place in the garden. Iris are also tolerant of many soil types and have thousands of varieties.
- Botanical name: Iris germanica
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Red, purple, white, pink, yellow, orange, peach
- Mature plant height: 2-3 feet
- Maintenance needs: Very low
- Blooming time: Spring to early summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun with well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
3. Bee balm
Bee balm is treasured for its medicinal qualities, beautiful blooms, and the ability to attract tons of pollinators from around. It gets stellar, crown-shaped flowers that are a favorite among butterflies and hummingbirds. The showy flower heads spread out like sparklers that you can pinch back early season to get bushier plants.
Wild bee balms grow in all kinds of soils and are highly fragrant, especially when grouped in mass plantings. It spreads rapidly through underground rhizomes and tends to overcrowd.
- Botanical name: Monarda
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Purple, pink, red, lavender
- Mature plant height: 2-4 feet
- Maintenance needs: Very low
- Blooming time: Summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun to partial shade with well-draining soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 4-9
4. Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susans do great in clay soil gardens. They make daisy-like, yellow flowers with black centers and sit atop tall stems. This clay-busting perennial plant is a garden staple because its low maintenance and very adaptable.
They bloom for months and keep on living for years to come, making them a wonderful addition to cottage gardens, perennial borders, prairies, or naturalized areas. Black-eyed Susans spread quickly, but aren’t invasive, and give your garden a long-lasting color. This versatile plant doesn’t mind heat or cold and grows easily in many different planting zones.
- Botanical name: Rudbeckia
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Yellow, orange
- Mature plant height: 2-3 feet
- Maintenance needs: Very low
- Blooming time: Early summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun with well-drained, moist soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
5. Daylily
Coming in nearly every color, daylilies are a perfect way to add color and texture to a clay soil garden. Daylilies are highly dependable, low-maintenance plants that are tolerant of a variety of growing conditions. The flowers produce a sweet fragrance and fluffy, clustery foliage that keeps it attractive through all seasons.
Daylilies grow well in water-logged and moist soil and probably make the most suitable perennial plant for clay soils.
- Botanical name: Hemerocallis
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Yellow, orange, shades of red and pink
- Mature plant height: 3-5 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Early summer to late fall
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun with moist, well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 4-9
6. Coneflower
Another popular perennial that thrives in clay soil is coneflower. The pink-purple flowers attract a large number of pollinators and birds, making them a great choice for butterfly gardens. It bears showy, daisy-like flowers that rest on top of strong, stiff stems and dark green foliage.
You can plant hybrid varieties for a wide color range, from pink, and orange to white, red, and burgundy. These tough, dependable prairie plants can tolerate rocky and clay soil as well as heat, drought, and humidity.
- Botanical name: Echinacea
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Pink, purple, gold, red, orange
- Mature plant height: 3-5 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and well-draining soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
7. Stonecrop or sedum
This carefree perennial requires little to no attention to grow. It features clusters of small, star-like flowers that gradually turn from pink to deep, rose-red color and change into coppery-red flowers in the fall. It has succulent-like, grayish-green leaves and long stems where the flattened flower heads sit to attract pollinators.
It’s also called Autumn joy and has the ability to thrive in poor, gravelly, or sandy soil. It will also tolerate clay and loam just fine if you ensure the soil doesn’t stay constantly damp. Sedum is an excellent choice for border fronts and rock gardens.
- Botanical name: Sedum
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Pink, lavender, rust-red,
- Mature plant height: 1-2 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Fall
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
8. Big bluestem
Big bluestem is a tough, drought-tolerant warm-season grass type. It’s mostly known for erosion control and is also used as an ornamental plant. This plant loves arid conditions and thrives in most soil types. It can grow up to 8 feet tall and works well as a central accent or focal point to any flower bed.
- Botanical name: Andropogon gerardii
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Purple, red, yellow
- Mature plant height: 6-8 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun with well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 4-9
9. Goat’s beard
This is a shade-loving perennial that features creamy-white, feathery flowers. Its eye-catching flowers are rabbit- and deer-resistant, making it a great choice for your clay garden.
Goat’s beard can grow in any kind of soil, from sand to clay, but slight amendments to the clay will enhance drainage and promote better growth.
- Botanical name: Aruncus dioicus
- Plant type: Perennial forb
- Flower color: Creamy white
- Mature plant height: 4-6 feet
- Maintenance needs: Moderate
- Blooming time: Spring and summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Partial shade with moist, rich soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-8
10. Goldenrod
Popular for its bewitching yellow flower spikes, goldenrod cheer up any garden when it blooms. It’s favored by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators and makes a great cut flower. Goldenrod is decently tolerant of clay and is easy to grow.
- Botanical name: Solidago canadensis
- Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
- Flower color: Yellow
- Mature plant height: 2-4 feet
- Maintenance needs: Moderate
- Blooming time: Mid-summer to fall
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
11. Hosta
Hosta plants come in a wide variety of colors and sizes to suit your garden. Hosta produces pretty spikes of lavender or white blooms and is either grown as a groundcover or mixed with other perennials.
These plants offer golden, green, blue-green, chartreuse, and variegated patterns on their leaves that might be as small as dandelions or large as an elephant’s ears. The texture, color, and durability of the foliage remain steady in any type of soil, including clay soil. It’s an ideal low-maintenance perennial for a garden heavy in clay.
- Botanical name: Hosta
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Purple, white, lavender-blue
- Mature plant height: 1-4 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full shade or part shade with well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-8
12. Butterfly weed
Butterfly weed is a North American native perennial that produces clusters of eye-catching flowers. These flowers are a major attraction for butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.
Butterfly weed has long taproots that allow it to survive droughts and thrive in poor soil types. Butterfly weed is one of the shortest kinds of milkweed, and its height allows it to fit into manicured flower beds and wild areas alike. It grows well in clay soil but will need heavy amendments with compost to enhance drainage.
- Botanical name: Asclepias tuberosa
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Yellow, red, orange
- Mature plant height: 1-2 feet
- Maintenance needs: Moderate
- Blooming time: Summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and well-draining soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
13. Eulalia grass
Eulalia grass is one of the most popular ornamental grasses. It is self-seeding and clump-forming and can become a nuisance if not managed properly. Like many ornamental grasses, it does very well in clay.
You can choose from small fountain grass, mid-sized silvergrass, or large pampas grass to create a beautiful shrub border or add texture, color, and movement to your perennial clay garden.
- Botanical name: Miscanthus
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Silver, copper
- Mature plant height: 3-7 feet
- Maintenance needs: Moderate
- Blooming time: Late summer to fall
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 5-9
14. Tickseed
Tickseed is a hardy North American native that blooms throughout the season. It is very low maintenance, drought-resistant, and can grow in practically any soil, as long as it has good drainage.
These long-blooming perennials make great cut flowers or border plants with their cheery, bright little blossoms. It produces dense, bushy clumps of daisy-like flowers and has fine feathery foliage.
- Botanical name: Coreopsis
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Yellow, pink, red, orange
- Mature plant height: 2-4 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun or part shade with well-draining soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 4-9
15. Blazing star
Blazing star, also known as gayfeather, features spiky bottle-brush flowers that bloom for a long period and grass-like foliage. These flowers are rich in nectar and quite popular among some butterfly species, including monarch butterflies.
This prairie plant has also gained popularity as a cut flower with its flower spikes that are made of multiple florets blooming from top to bottom.
- Botanical name: Liatris spicata
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: White, purple, deep blue-purple
- Mature plant height: 2-4 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-8
16. Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are well known for performing in clay soil. They feature bright pink, blue, purple, and creamy white flowers to light up any garden. These flowering shrubs grow well with partial shade and poor soil conditions as long as the soil is kept moist.
- Botanical name: Hydrangea macrophylla
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: Blue, purple, pink, white
- Mature plant height: 3-6 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Summer to fall
- Ideal growing conditions: Partial shade and well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
17. Coral bells
Coral bells or alumroots are an excellent choice for adding color to your clay soil garden. They offer an impressive flower color range, from pink and purple to white, deep red, and light coral. This perennial plant gets its name from the tall spikes of bell-shaped blooms.
It thrives in clay soil and offers the greatest diversity of foliage shades, ranging from peach and deep purple to bronze and silver.
- Botanical name: Heuchera
- Plant type: Perennial
- Flower color: White, pink, deep red, light coral
- Mature plant height: 1-3 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Blooming time: Late spring to early summer
- Ideal growing conditions: Full sun and part shade with well-drained soil
- USDA hardiness zones: 4-9
FAQ
A: Yes, clay soil has the highest risk of disease. The higher the clay content in the soil, the greater the risk. This is because clay soil has closely sitting particles with less space for air and water to naturally flush toxins and disease-causing bacteria through. It also stays moist for long periods and creates a favorable environment for such problematic organisms.
A: If you want to naturally break clay soil without digging, the simplest way is to spread 4-6-inches of rotted hay or straw. Allow it to sit on top of the clay soil for a year or so and see it slowly breaking.
A: Some perennials that love and thrive in clay soil include asters, bee balm, daylilies, black-eyed susan, and coneflowers.
Final word
Despite its reputation of being back-breaking and impossible to work with, clay soil can create a beautiful and full garden if you choose the right plants for it.
If you need any help setting a clay soil garden up, you can always reach out to our lawn love pros
Main photo credit: MD Arif Zaman
