25 Best Plants for Clay Soil

ARBORVITAE (Thuja spp.)

North Pole® Arborvitae — Buy now from Proven Winners

Zones: 2-9, depending on the variety
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Pyramidal or mounding habit
Height/Spread: 2 to 70 feet tall, 2 to 25 feet wide
Bloom time: Flowers insignificant.

Arborvitae is a coniferous tree or shrub with blue-green, gold, or green foliage. This hardy evergreen is commonly used as privacy hedging or in shrub borders. Arborvitae prefers well-drained, loamy soils, but is adaptable to different soils including clay.

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ASTER (Symphyotrichum spp.)

Grape Crush New England Aster — Buy now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-8
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 6 feet tall, 1 to 4 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer to fall

This fall-blooming perennial produces daisy-like flowers in shades of white, pink, blue, and purple. Use in mixed borders or native gardens. Asters can grow in clay soil if amended with organic matter. Poor drainage can lead to root rot.

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BEE BALM (Monarda spp.)

'Pardon My Cerise' Bee Balm — Buy now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 4 feet tall, 1 to 3 feet wide
Bloom time: Late spring to fall

This hardy herbaceous perennial produces colorful flowers that resemble fireworks, attracting a range of pollinators. Plant in a wildlife garden or cottage-style border. Bee balm is tolerant of heavy clay, but performs best in rich soil with good drainage. Amend clay soil with organic matter.

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BLACK-EYED SUSAN (Rudbeckia spp.)

Mega Millions® Black-eyed Susan — Learn more on Proven Winners

Zones: 3-10
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 5 feet tall, 1 to 3 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer to fall

This summer-blooming perennial produces vibrant daisy-like flowers with rich golden petals and brown centers. Grow black-eyed Susans in cottage-style borders and natural landscapes. This tough prairie native is tolerant of different growing conditions, including clay soil.

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BLAZING STAR (Liatris spp.)

Kobold Gayfeather — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 5 feet tall, 6 inches to 2 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer to fall

Blazing star is a prairie native with tall flower spikes in hues of pink, purple, and white. This hardy perennial is one of the best plants for attracting pollinators, and is tolerant of different soils, including clay. Fertile soil may cause plants to flop.

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CHOKEBERRY (Aronia spp.)

Low Scape Mound® — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Bushy habit
Height/Spread: 8 inches to 12 feet tall, 1-1/2 to 10 feet wide
Bloom time: Spring

Chokeberry produces edible blueberry-like fruits with a range of health benefits. This deciduous shrub does best in moist, well-draining soil, and is tolerant of different soils including sand and clay. Naturalize in a boggy area, or plant in a rain garden.

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CRABAPPLE (Malus spp.)

Lollipop® — Learn more from Proven Winners

Zones: 4-8
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright, spreading, weeping or columnar habit
Height/Spread: 15 to 20 feet tall, 12 to 20 feet wide. Dwarf varieties are smaller.
Bloom time: Mid to late spring

Crabapple is a common landscape tree, with showy spring blossoms and small fruits that provide ornamental interest in winter. Plants are adaptable to most soils, including clay, as long as there is good drainage. Use as a focal point or street tree.

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CONEFLOWER (Echinacea spp.)

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Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 5 feet tall, 1 to 2 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer

This popular prairie native is named for the cone-shaped flowers that bloom in summer. Use in a wildflower meadow or pollinator garden. One of the best clay soil perennials, coneflower is tolerant of heat, drought, and humidity.

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CRANESBILL GERANIUM (Geranium spp.)

Zones: 4-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright or mounding habit
Height/Spread: 6 to 36 inches tall, 12 to 36 inches wide
Bloom time: Spring to fall, depending on the variety

A staple of English-style gardening, cranesbill geranium is commonly used as an underplanting to roses, or as a ground cover. Plants produce attractive scalloped foliage and long blooming strawberry-like flowers. This hardy perennial is one of the best flowers for clay soil.

DAYLILY (Hemerocallis spp.)

Rainbow Rhythm® — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright clumping habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 6 feet tall, 1 to 4 feet wide
Bloom time: Late spring to fall

This popular long-lived perennial has trumpet-shaped flowers in a range of colors. Plant in mixed borders or cottage-style landscapes. Daylily is virtually carefree and adaptable to different soils. Amend clay soil with organic matter and keep soil evenly moist.

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DOGWOOD (Cornus spp.)

Arctic Sun® — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 2-9, depending on the variety
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Tall upright or compact bushy habit
Height/Spread: 3 to 40 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Spring

Dogwood is a popular deciduous tree or shrub with four-season appeal. Tree forms create a spectacular floral display in spring, while shrub types are revered for their colorful winter stems. Dogwoods prefer amended soil with good drainage, but tolerate clay and wet soil.

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FORSYTHIA (Forsythia spp.)

Show Off® — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright, bushy or arching habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 10 feet tall, 3 to 10 feet wide
Bloom time: Early to mid-spring

This deciduous shrub is grown for the cheerful bright-yellow flowers that light up the landscape in early spring. Use as hedging or in foundation plantings. Forsythia is one of the best clay soil plants, adaptable to different growing conditions as long as there is good drainage.

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FOUNTAIN GRASS (Pennisetum spp.)

Graceful Grasses® Purple Fountain Grass — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 5-11
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 5 feet tall, 1 to 4 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer to fall

Fountain grass produces graceful foliage and large, feathery flower plumes from summer into fall. Use this drought-tolerant perennial in a curbside planting or waterwise landscape. Amend clay soil with organic matter to prevent root rot.

HOSTA (Hosta spp.)

Shadowland® 'Hudson Bay' — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Part sun to shade
Habit: Upright clumping habit
Height/Spread: 2 inches to 4 feet tall, 5 inches to 5 feet wide, depending on the variety
Bloom time: Summer

Hosta is one of the best plants for shade and clay soil. This hardy perennial is grown for the attractive foliage in a range of colors, patterns, and shapes. Use in shade borders and mass plantings. Amend clay soil with organic matter, as poor drainage can lead to root rot.

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HYDRANGEA (Hydrangea spp.)

Limelight Prime® — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Partial sun to shade
Habit: Upright bushy or arching habit
Height/Spread: 3 to 15 feet tall, 3 to 12 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer to fall

One of the most popular landscape shrubs, hydrangea produces large, showy flower heads with different colors and forms. Use in a woodland setting or shrub border. Hydrangea can be planted in clay soil as long as it’s amended with rich organic matter.

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MAGNOLIA (Magnolia spp.)

Zones: 3-10
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 8 to 70 feet tall, 7 to 40 feet wide
Bloom time: Spring to summer, with some rebloom

Magnolia is one of the most popular landscape trees, with elegant cup-shaped flowers that put on a show-stopping display in spring and summer. This deciduous or evergreen tree is adaptable to different soils including clay, preferring acidic soil with good drainage.

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MILKWEED (Asclepias spp.)

Cinderella Swamp Milkweed — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright bushy habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 6 feet tall, 1 to 3 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer

Milkweed is a host plant for monarch butterflies, with flowers that attract beneficial pollinators. Most milkweeds are tolerant of different soils, while swamp milkweed can thrive in wet clay. Plant in a pollinator garden or wildflower meadow.

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POTENTILLA (Potentilla spp.)

Happy Face® White — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 2-8
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Bushy or ground cover habit
Height/Spread: 3 inches to 4 feet tall, 6 inches to 5 feet wide
Bloom time: Spring to fall

Potentilla is commonly used in home and commercial landscapes for its carefree nature, long bloom time, and exceptional hardiness. This bush or ground cover is one of the best ground covers for clay soil. Use in mass plantings or along a slope for erosion control.

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RUSSIAN SAGE (Perovskia spp.)

'Denim 'n Lace' — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 4-9
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright spreading habit
Height/Spread: 2 to 4 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Early summer to fall

This woody perennial produces silvery foliage and lavender-blue flower spikes for a show-stopping effect in the summer landscape. Russian sage prefers hot conditions and lean soil, and is tolerant of clay as long as there is adequate drainage. Waterlogged soil can lead to root rot.

Find more on growing Russian sage.

SEDUM (Sedum spp.)

Rock 'N Low® 'Boogie Woogie' — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 3-9
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright, mounding or creeping habit
Height/Spread: 3 to 36 inches tall, 12 to 24 inches wide
Bloom time: Summer to fall

Sedum is a succulent plant with flowers that add late season color to the landscape. Also known as stonecrop, this carefree perennial tolerates lean and poor soils, including clay, as long as there is good drainage. Use in waterwise borders, or plant along a rock wall.

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SPIREA (Spiraea spp.)

Double Play Doozie® — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 4-8
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Mounding bushy habit
Height/Spread: 2 to 8 feet tall, 2 to 6 feet wide
Bloom time: Spring to summer

This versatile shrub is a favorite of home gardeners for its colorful foliage and lacy flower clusters that appear in spring to summer. Spirea is useful in mixed borders or foundation plantings, and adapts well to clay soil as long as there is good drainage. Amend clay soil with organic matter to prevent standing water, which can cause root rot.

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SWITCHGRASS (Panicum virgatum)

Prairie Winds® 'Apache Rose' — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 4-9
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright, arching or vase-shaped habit
Height/Spread: 3 to 8 feet tall, 1-1/2 to 5 feet wide
Bloom time: Mid to late summer

Native to North American prairies, switchgrass is a warm-season ornamental grass with steely blue foliage and delicate cloud-like flower plumes that add fine texture to mixed borders and native landscapes. One of the few plants that love clay soil, switchgrass prefers lean soil and moist conditions.

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VIBURNUM (Viburnum spp.)

Blue Muffin® — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 2-11, depending on the variety
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright bushy habit
Height/Spread: 3 to 20 feet tall, 3 to 12 feet wide
Bloom time: Spring to summer

This deciduous or evergreen shrub is grown for its prolific flower clusters, colorful berries, and brilliant fall foliage that lends multi-seasonal appeal. Use in foundation plantings or native borders. Viburnum is adaptable to a range of soils, including clay, as long as there is adequate drainage.

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VIRGINIA CREEPER (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Red Wall®

Zones: 3-10
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Habit: Vining habit
Height/Spread: 30 to 50 feet tall, 5 to 10 feet wide
Bloom time: Late spring to summer

Virginia creeper is distinguished by the five-lobed leaves, showy blue fruits, and brilliant red fall color. This deciduous woody vine has a vigorous growth habit that is useful for quickly covering large garden structures. Virginia creeper is tolerant of different growing conditions, including clay soil.

WEIGELA (Weigela spp.)

Wine & Roses® — Buy Now from Proven Winners

Zones: 4-8
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Habit: Upright bushy habit
Height/Spread: 1 to 10 feet tall, 2 to 12 feet wide
Bloom time: Mid-to-late spring, with some rebloom

This old-fashioned favorite shrub produces foliage in a range of colors and fragrant tubular flowers in spring. Plants are virtually carefree once established, tolerating a range of soils including clay as long as it drains well. Use in foundation plantings or shrub borders.

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