Plants for heavy clay
Explore plants with clay soil suitability recorded in our catalog.
Clay tolerance does not mean tolerance of standing water. Check each plant’s drainage needs.
Call to confirm availability before making a special trip.
89 plants to explore
- Acer × freemanii 'Jeffersred' · Autumn Blaze Freeman maple
Tolerated
- Acer griseum · Paperbark maple
Moist, well-drained sand, loam or clay; adaptable to a range of soil pH.
- Acer rubrum 'Frank Jr.' · Redpointe red maple
Tolerated; slightly acidic soil is preferred.
- Acer rubrum 'Franksred' · Red Sunset red maple
Tolerated; slightly acidic soil is preferred.
- Acer rubrum 'October Glory' · October Glory red maple
Tolerated; slightly acidic soil is preferred.
- Acer rubrum 'Sun Valley' · Sun Valley red maple
Tolerated; slightly acidic soil is preferred.
- Acer truncatum × Acer platanoides 'JFS-KW202' · Crimson Sunset maple
Average, medium-moist, well-drained soil; clay and loam are suitable.
- Acer truncatum × Acer platanoides 'Warrenred' · Pacific Sunset maple
Adaptable to loam, clay loam and sandy loam where drainage is adequate.
- Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow' · Burgundy Glow bugleweed
Tolerates clay with drainage.
- Allium 'Millenium' · Millenium ornamental onion
Tolerates clay where drainage is adequate.
- Amsonia hubrichtii · Threadleaf bluestar
Adaptable to clay, loam or sand if drainage is good.
- Anemone × hybrida 'September Charm' · September Charm Japanese anemone
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Asclepias incarnata · Swamp milkweed
Tolerates occasional wetness and moist clay.
- Astilbe 'Drum and Bass' · Drum and Bass astilbe
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Astilbe chinensis 'Little Vision in Purple' · Little Vision in Purple Chinese astilbe
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Astilbe chinensis 'Vision in Pink' · Vision in Pink Chinese astilbe
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Astilbe chinensis 'Vision in White' · Vision in White Chinese astilbe
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' · Karl Foerster feather reed grass
Adaptable, including heavy clay.
- Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam' · Overdam variegated feather reed grass
Adaptable, including clay; avoid persistently soggy crowns.
- Campanula poscharskyana 'Camgood' · Blue Waterfall Serbian bellflower
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Carex talbotii · Bronze creeping sedge
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' · Blue Atlas cedar
Adaptable to clay, loam or sand and a range of pH, provided drainage is good.
- Convallaria majalis · Lily of the valley
Tolerates clay and dry shade.
- Coreopsis 'Creme Brulee' · Crème Brûlée tickseed
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
More plants (65)
- Dicentra 'King of Hearts' · King of Hearts bleeding heart
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Digitalis × mertonensis · Strawberry foxglove
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Digitalis purpurea 'Camelot Cream' · Camelot Cream foxglove
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Digitalis purpurea 'Camelot Rose' · Camelot Rose foxglove
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Echinacea purpurea · Purple coneflower
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Epimedium × perralchicum 'Frohnleiten' · Frohnleiten barrenwort
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Geranium 'Azure Rush' · Azure Rush cranesbill
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Geranium dalmaticum · Dalmatian cranesbill
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Geum 'Banana Daiquiri' · Banana Daiquiri avens
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Hedera helix 'Wilson' · Wilson English ivy
Tolerates clay if drainage is adequate.
- Helleborus 'New York Night' · New York Night Lenten rose
Tolerates clay with good drainage.
- Helleborus 'Sandy Shores' · Sandy Shores Lenten rose
Tolerates clay with good drainage.
- Helleborus 'Spanish Flare' · Spanish Flare Lenten rose
Tolerates clay with good drainage.
- Hosta 'Guardian Angel' · Guardian Angel hosta
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Hosta 'Queen Josephine' · Queen Josephine hosta
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Hosta 'Remember Me' · Remember Me hosta
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Hosta 'Sun Power' · Sun Power hosta
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Hosta 'Twilight' · Twilight hosta
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Hosta 'Whirlwind' · Whirlwind hosta
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Hylotelephium spectabile 'Neon' · Neon showy stonecrop
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Hypericum androsaemum 'Albury Purple' · Albury Purple St. John’s wort
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Iris ensata 'Variegata' · Variegated Japanese iris
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Iris pallida 'Argentea Variegata' · White-striped Dalmatian iris
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Iris pallida 'Variegata Aurea' · Gold-variegated Dalmatian iris
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Leptinella 'Platt’s Black' · Black brass buttons
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Leptinella squalida · Green brass buttons
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Leucanthemum × superbum 'Snow Lady' · Snow Lady Shasta daisy
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Liatris pycnostachya 'Lavender Glowsticks' · Lavender Glowsticks prairie blazing star
Tolerates clay with drainage.
- Ligularia dentata 'Othello' · Othello leopard plant
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Lilium 'After Eight' · After Eight dwarf oriental lily
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Lilium 'Tiny Crystal' · Tiny Crystal dwarf asiatic lily
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Lilium 'Tiny Rocket' · Tiny Rocket dwarf asiatic lily
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Lilium 'Tiny Shadow' · Tiny Shadow dwarf asiatic lily
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Liriope muscari 'Silvery Sunproof' · Silvery Sunproof lilyturf
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Lobelia cardinalis 'Black Truffle' · Black Truffle cardinal flower
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Lysimachia punctata 'Walgoldalex' · Golden Alexander yellow loosestrife
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Metasequoia glyptostroboides · Dawn redwood
Deep, moisture-retentive, slightly acidic soil; tolerates clay and occasional flooding.
- Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Gold Rush' · Gold Rush dawn redwood
Deep, moisture-retentive, slightly acidic soil; tolerates clay and occasional flooding.
- Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'WAH-08AG' · Amber Glow dawn redwood
Deep, moisture-retentive, slightly acidic soil; tolerates clay and occasional flooding.
- Monarda 'Jacob Cline' · Jacob Cline bee balm
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Myosotis sylvatica 'Bluesylva' · Bluesylva forget-me-not
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Nepeta × faassenii 'Novanepjun' · Junior Walker catmint
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Pachysandra terminalis 'Green Carpet' · Green Carpet Japanese pachysandra
Tolerates clay if drainage is adequate.
- Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' · Heavy Metal switchgrass
Adaptable to clay or sandy soil; full sun helps prevent flopping.
- Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Sky' · Prairie Sky switchgrass
Adaptable to clay or sandy soil; full sun helps prevent flopping.
- Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' · Shenandoah switchgrass
Adaptable to clay or sandy soil; full sun helps prevent flopping.
- Papaver orientale 'Beauty of Livermere' · Beauty of Livermere oriental poppy
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Pinus bungeana 'Rowe Arboretum' · Rowe Arboretum lacebark pine
Well-drained clay, loam or sand; adaptable to soil pH.
- Pinus parviflora 'Aoi' · Aoi Japanese white pine
Moist, well-drained soil; species tolerates alkaline and clay soils when drainage is adequate.
- Pinus parviflora 'Koru' · Koru Japanese white pine
Moist, well-drained soil; species tolerates alkaline and clay soils when drainage is adequate.
- Platycodon grandiflorus 'Astra Blue' · Astra Blue balloon flower
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Polemonium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven' · Stairway to Heaven Jacob’s ladder
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Quercus phellos · Willow oak
Average to wet, acidic soil; adaptable to clay and occasional dry periods.
- Rudbeckia hirta 'Autumn Colors' · Autumn Colors gloriosa daisy
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Rudbeckia hirta 'Cherry Brandy' · Cherry Brandy gloriosa daisy
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Sagina subulata · Irish moss
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Salvia yangii 'Little Spire' · Little Spire Russian sage
Tolerates clay only where drainage is good.
- Syringa reticulata 'Ivory Silk' · Ivory Silk Japanese tree lilac
Rich, well-drained soil; tolerates clay and urban sites if drainage is adequate.
- Thuja koraiensis 'Glauca' · Blue Korean arborvitae
Moist but well-drained clay, loam or sand; tolerates a range of pH.
- Thuja standishii × plicata 'Green Giant' · Green Giant arborvitae
Moist, well-drained soil; adaptable to clay, loam or sand.
- Tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai' · Samurai toad lily
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Tricyrtis formosana 'Seiryu' · Seiryu toad lily
Suitable with appropriate drainage.
- Ulmus 'Morton Glossy' · Triumph hybrid elm
Adaptable to many soils, including clay and alkaline soil.
- Ulmus 'Patriot' · Patriot hybrid elm
Adaptable to many soils, including clay and alkaline soil.
- Veronica spicata 'Glory' · Royal Candles speedwell
Suitable with appropriate drainage.