It’s wet and dense, and it can bake as solid as a brick in the sun.
This soil throw in leaves little room for air and water movement for plants.
Choosing plants to grow in clay soil takes some discretion.
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Some plants tolerate clay soil and help break up and improve its texture and drainage.
(Full sun plants are listed first.)
It’s used as an ornamental plant and is popular for erosion control.
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The plant is tolerant of most soils.
They will bloom for months and live for years.
The plant tolerates a range of soils as long as it has good drainage.
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It grows best in rich, moist soil.
The flowers are very popular with monarch butterflies, which will spend hours feasting on the nectar.
It prefers moist, fertile soil, though it doesn’t tolerate wet soil well over the winter.
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It is very attractive to butterflies, as well asbeesandhummingbirds.
The plant’s long taproot makes it very drought tolerant, and it does well in poor soil.
It’s easy to grow from seed and can adapt to various soils and conditions.
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The plant is even tolerant of drought and air pollution.
The plants hold their sunny golden flowers high above the foliage.
Besides thecompass plant, the shorterSilphium integrifolium (Rosinweed)also makes a good choice for clay soil.
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This bang out ofSilphiumis extremely popular with birds and butterflies.
You would be hard-pressed to find a more dependable flower tolerant of many growing conditions.
This plant thrives in moist soil, preferring a fertile loam.
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But it does fine in clay soil, as well.
But it is much hardier and sports the same cheery, swept-back petals.
The plant likes medium moisture and good drainage, but it can tolerate some drought.
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It begins to send up tall flower stalks by mid-summer, and it remains attractive through winter.
The plant can tolerate heavy clay as well as dry and infertile soil.
It prefers damp growing conditions, making it very happy in clay soil.
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The blooms also can last for days as cut flowers.
The plant prefers somewhat dry, sandy soil, though it can grow in a well-draining clay.
It thrives in poor sandy or gravelly soil.
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But it can tolerate clay or loam as long as drainage ensures it doesn’t stay constantly damp.
Pale blue star-shaped flowers bloom in late spring, followed by attractive seed pods.
Golden fall foliage rounds out the growing season.
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The plant will grow in most soils, though it doesn’t like prolonged drought.
Aster (Aster sp.)
Asters are late flowering perennials that take your garden through to frost.
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The plants can thrive in clay soil, though they need good drainage.
If you have heavy clay, consider planting in araised bedor double-digging the soil.
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Coneflowers are tough, dependable prairie plants.
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The purple variety is the most well-known, but newerhybridscome in several more colors.
The plant can tolerate clay and rocky soil, as well as drought, heat, and humidity.
Eulalia Grass (Miscanthus sinensis)
Miscanthusvarieties are some of the most popular ornamental grasses to grow.
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They are clump formers, and their self-seeding tendency might become a nuisance.
They grow in many soils, from light and sandy to heavy clay.
Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides)
Fountain grasses are beloved for their fluffy, feathery panicles.
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They prefer loamy soil but also can grow well in clay.
It will spread by underground rhizomes, but usually, it is not invasive.
It’s a good plant to stabilize damp areas prone to erosion.
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Except forcutting backand dividing, these grasses practically take care of themselves.
They can tolerate dry conditions but prefer moist sandy or clay soil.
Tickseed (Coreopsis)
Tickseed is an extremely hardy North Americannative plant.
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It is drought-resistant and low maintenance, and it repeatedly blooms throughout the season.
The plant is not very particular about where it grows, but it does prefer to have good drainage.
It has showy flower heads that spread out like sparklers.Pinch them backearly in the season for bushier plants.
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A perennial plant returns year after year.
Some of the best perennials for clay soil include daylily flowers, asters, coneflowers, and bee balm.
Except for the grasses, all the other plants have notable blooms.
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Most hydrangeas prefer loamy, humus-rich, well-draining soil.
Selecting hydrangeas for the home landscape.
Ohio State University Extension.
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The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
