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    Home » Gardening

    23 Outstanding Perennials that Thrive in Clay Soil

    July 15, 2019 by Patti Estep 6 Comments

    Learn about 23 perennials for clay soil that are easy to grow and make your flower garden easy to maintain and beautiful.

    Gallery of perennial plants for clay soil

    The type of soil you have makes all the difference when you are creating or growing an ornamental garden. In my neck of the woods, here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, most of us have clay soil.

    That often means we need to add organic material to our gardens to help aerate the soil and break up the clay. Natural mulch and compost are two great ways to help with clay soil.

    However, there are many plants that will thrive in the clay, especially once they get established.

    Below is a list of 23 perennials have I have grown successfully in clay soil, some for many years. Hopefully, they will offer some inspiration for your own garden.

    I have also indicated the hardiness zone range they grow best in, and whether the plant prefers sun or shady conditions.

    Best Perennials for Clay Soil

    White yarrow

    Achillea millefolium - Common Yarrow
    Zone - 3 to 9
    Full Sun

    Ajuga chocolate chip

    Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ - Bugleweed
    Zone - 4 to 9
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Lady's MantleAlchemilla mollis - Lady's mantle
    Zone - 3 to 8
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Anemone September Charm

    Anemone ‘September Charm’ - Japanese Anemone
    Zone - 3 to 8
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Japanese Painted Fern

    Athyrium niponicum - Japanese painted fern
    Zone - 3 to 8
    Part Shade to Full Shade

    Brunnera - False Forget Me NotBrunnera macrophylla - False Forget-Me-Not
    Zone - 3 to 8
    Part Shade

    Coreopsis Moonbeam

    Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ - Tickseed
    Zone - 3 to 9
    Full Sun

    Purple Coneflower

    Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower
    Zone - 3 to 8
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Sweet Woodruff

    Galium odoratum - Sweet Woodruff
    Zone - 5 to 9
    Part Shade to Full Shade

    Geranium Rozanne

    Geranium ‘Rozanne’ - Cranesbill
    Zone - 5 to 8
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Hellebore

    Helleborus orientalis - Lenten Rose
    Zone - 4 to 9
    Part Shade to Full Shade

    Wine colored Daylily

    Hemerocallis - Daylily
    Zone - 3 to 9
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Hosta Guacamole

    Hosta ‘Guacamole’ - Plantain Lily
    Zone - 3 to 8
    Part Shade to Full Shade

    Shasta Daisy

    Leucanthemum x superbum - Shasta Daisy
    Zone - 5 to 9
    Full Sun

    Ligularia

    Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’ - Leopard Plant
    Zone - 4 to 9
    Part Shade to Full Shade

    Beebalm

    Monarda ‘Blue Stocking’ - Beebalm
    Zone - 4 to 8
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Catmint

    Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ - Catmint
    Zone - 4 to 8
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Husker's Red Penstemon

    Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' - Beardtongue
    Zone - 4 to 8
    Full Sun to Part Shade

    Primroses

    Primula vulgaris - Primrose
    Zone - 4 to 8
    Part Shade

    Lungwort

    Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’ - Lungwort
    Zone - 4 to 9
    Part Shade to Full Shade

    Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy

    Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’ - Black Eyed Susan
    Zone - 5 to 8
    Full Sun

    Salvia May Night

    Salvia sylvestris 'May Night' - Sage
    Zone - 4 to 8
    Full Sun

    Sedum Brilliant

    Sedum 'Brilliant' - Stonecrop
    Zone - 3 to 9
    Full Sun

    That's a pretty big list, right? There are actually more perennials that fit into this category. Asters, ornamental grasses and coral bells can also be planted in clay soil. So, as you can see there are plenty of perennials for clay soil to choose from so you can easily create a beautiful flower garden of your own.

    Patti signature


    P.S. If shade is an issue check out 11 Perennials for Shade. Or, if you are looking for shrubs you may like this Easy to Grow Shrubs post. You can find them and much more on my Gardening Page.

    Click Here to Save to Pinterest!

    gallery of clay soil perennials

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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbara Chapman

      July 17, 2019 at 5:41 pm

      Patti, this list is huge and wonderful!!! I saw a few of these plants down at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center but it's nice to see even more. Will be trying some plants soon. 🙂

      Thank you for the ideas,
      Barb 🙂

      Reply
    2. Lori Nell

      July 17, 2019 at 10:59 am

      Helpful post! Thank you for the research.

      Reply
    3. Meegan

      July 15, 2019 at 1:16 pm

      You have the most informative ideas and tips for garden flowers. Thanks for sharing.
      This crazy, intense desert weather and soil can make it difficult to enjoy gardening.
      Thanks for your ideas.

      Reply
    4. Roxanne

      July 15, 2019 at 10:18 am

      This is such a great post, Patti. I love Shasta Daisies but I've never had any luck growing them! Pinning this one for future reference!

      Reply
    5. Carole West

      July 15, 2019 at 9:13 am

      Clay soil here and there are days when I've had enough of it. The area we're looking to move in the future has sandy soil and I'm sure that will come with a list of obstacles as well.
      Great list of plants and my grandma had forget me knots in her yard. She liked them because they covered a nice space and required little care. I personally love their foilage and the surprise of dainty blooms. When I get settled I hope to have a ground garden area where I can load it up with an assortment of blooming perennials. Have to check out that Japanese Anemome, it's beautiful.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        July 15, 2019 at 9:37 am

        Thank Carole. The truth is many of these plants will grow well in just about any garden. You may have an issue with the heat the further south you go. However, most do well up to zone 8 which is pretty warm.

        Reply

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