Curated by real gardeners
Plants for Clay Soil
Clay is fertile but unforgiving — wet in spring, brick in August. These plants have the root systems to handle both moods.
The 24 most-saved picks
#1 most savedCheyenne Spirit Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
#2 most savedPink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
#3 most savedButterfly Kisses Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Butterfly Kisses'
Garden Phlox
Phlox paniculata 'Mix'
Purple Coneflower Rainbow
Echinacea purpurea 'Rainbow'
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias x hybrida
Old Farmyard Hollyhock
Alcea rosea 'Old Farmyard'
May Night Sage
Salvia nemorosa 'May Night'
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 'American Gold Rush'
Dwarf Wild Indigo
Baptisia minor
Incrediball Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens 'Incrediball'
Cinderella Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella'
Prairie Phlox
Phlox pilosa
Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Cheyenne Spirit Mix'
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 'Autumn Colors Mix'
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Lou Williams New England Aster
Aster novae-angliae 'Lou Williams'
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'
Columbine Mix
Aquilegia x hybrida 'Mix'
New England Aster Harringtons Pink
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Harringtons Pink'
Coral Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens 'Coral Honeysuckle'
New England Aster 'Violetta'
Aster novae-angliae 'Violetta'
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis 'George Home'
Clay soil questions
Should I amend clay soil before planting?
Amend broadly, not per-hole (amended holes become bathtubs). Better: choose clay-tolerant plants and top-dress annually with compost; the worms do the tilling.
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Find the right clay soil plants for YOUR yard
Sow matches plants to your zone, sun, and style — then designs the bed and reminds you how to care for it.
