Learn about 23 perennials for clay soil that are easy to grow and make your flower garden easy to maintain and beautiful.
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
Achillea millefolium – Common Yarrow
Zone – 3 to 9
Full Sun
Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ – Bugleweed
Zone – 4 to 9
Full Sun to Part Shade
Alchemilla mollis – Lady’s mantle
Zone – 3 to 8
Full Sun to Part Shade
Anemone ‘September Charm’ – Japanese Anemone
Zone – 3 to 8
Full Sun to Part Shade
Athyrium niponicum – Japanese painted fern
Zone – 3 to 8
Part Shade to Full Shade
Brunnera macrophylla – False Forget-Me-Not
Zone – 3 to 8
Part Shade
Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ – Tickseed
Zone – 3 to 9
Full Sun
Echinacea purpurea – Purple Coneflower
Zone – 3 to 8
Full Sun to Part Shade
Galium odoratum – Sweet Woodruff
Zone – 5 to 9
Part Shade to Full Shade
Geranium ‘Rozanne’ – Cranesbill
Zone – 5 to 8
Full Sun to Part Shade
Helleborus orientalis – Lenten Rose
Zone – 4 to 9
Part Shade to Full Shade
Hemerocallis – Daylily
Zone – 3 to 9
Full Sun to Part Shade
Hosta ‘Guacamole’ – Plantain Lily
Zone – 3 to 8
Part Shade to Full Shade
Leucanthemum x superbum – Shasta Daisy
Zone – 5 to 9
Full Sun
Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’ – Leopard Plant
Zone – 4 to 9
Part Shade to Full Shade
Monarda ‘Blue Stocking’ – Beebalm
Zone – 4 to 8
Full Sun to Part Shade
Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ – Catmint
Zone – 4 to 8
Full Sun to Part Shade
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ – Beardtongue
Zone – 4 to 8
Full Sun to Part Shade
Primula vulgaris – Primrose
Zone – 4 to 8
Part Shade
Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’ – Lungwort
Zone – 4 to 9
Part Shade to Full Shade
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’ – Black Eyed Susan
Zone – 5 to 8
Full Sun
Salvia sylvestris ‘May Night’ – Sage
Zone – 4 to 8
Full Sun
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.
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.
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Barbara Chapman says
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 🙂
Lori Nell says
Helpful post! Thank you for the research.
Meegan says
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.
Roxanne says
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!
Carole West says
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.
Patti Estep says
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.