Plants for Clay Soil

Q: What plants grow well in clay soil?

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Q: How do I improve clay soil?

{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Dig in plenty of organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure to open up the structure and help drainage. Avoid working clay when it is wet, since that compacts it, and mulch each year to keep improving it."}]}]}

Q: When should I plant in clay soil?

{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Spring and autumn are best, when the soil is moist but workable. Avoid planting in winter when clay is cold and waterlogged, or in the height of summer when it can set rock hard."}]}]}

Q: Does clay soil need much watering?

{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Less than lighter soils, since clay holds moisture well. New plants still need regular water while they root in, but established plants on clay usually cope with dry spells better than those on sand or chalk."}]}]}

Plants for clay soil turn a common garden headache into an advantage. The right plants root firmly in heavy ground and draw on the moisture and nutrients that clay holds so well.

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Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis Vulcan Pink

£9.99

1

Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis Sunset Yellow

£9.99

1

Cyathea cooperi

£15.99

1

Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern

£12.99

1

Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis Vulcan Gold

£11.99

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Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web'

£13.99 £14.49

1

Japanese Banana

Musa basjoo

£16.99

1

Firefern 'Nordlys' (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys'

£8.99

1

Black Magic Elephant Ears (Black Taro)

Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic'

£11.99

1

Siberian Bugloss 'Silver Heart'

Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart'

£14.99

1

Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola'

£4.99

1

Polystichum lepidocaulon

£15.99 £25.99

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Creeping Wire Vine (Variegated)

Muehlenbeckia Axillaris variegated

£6.99

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Wagner's Windmill Palm (Miniature Chusan Palm)

Trachycarpus wagnerianus

£39.99

1

Red Abyssinian Banana

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'

£17.99

1

Golden Kiwi

Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi)

£19.99

1

Variegated Kiwi Vine

Actinidia kolomikta

£18.99

1

Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

£17.99

1

Coleus 'Main Street Bourbon Street' (Painted Nettle)

Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Bourbon Street'

£9.99

1

Coleus 'Main Street Spacecake' (Painted Nettle)

Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Spacecake'

£8.99

1

Mountain blechnum

Blechnum tabulare

£37.99

1

Dryopteris koidzumiana

£10.99

1

Toad Lily

Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge'

£8.99

1

Dwarf Pampas Grass

Cortaderia selloana Pumila

£12.99

1

Chinese Fringe Flower, Fire Dance

Loropetalum Fire Dance

£6.99

1

Chinese Fringe Flower, Black Pearl

Loropetalum Black Pearl

£33.99

1

Silk Tree (Persian Silk Tree)

Albizia julibrissin 'Ombrella'

£24.99

1

Black Lace Elder 'Eva' PBR

Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'

£16.99

1

Yellow Montbretia 'George Davidson'

Crocosmia 'George Davidson'

£19.99

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Black Japanese Maple 'Black Lace'

Acer palmatum 'Black Lace'

£42.99

1

Dutchman's Pipe

Aristolochia macrophylla

£28.99

1

Japanese Spurge

Pachysandra terminalis

£5.59

1

Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

Matteuccia struthiopteris

£8.99

1

Lady Fern / Painted Fern

Athyrium sp.

£3.99

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Coleus / Painted Nettle 'Love Bird'

Coleus 'Love Bird'

£11.99

1

Japanese Umbrella Pine

Sciadopitys verticillata

£34.99

1

Sweet Box, Christmas Box

Sarcococca confusa

£16.99

1

Japanese Aralia, Paper Plant

Fatsia japonica

£17.99

1

Golden Club

Orontium aquaticum

£13.99

1

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Gardening on clay soil

Clay gets a bad name, but it is one of the most fertile soils there is. It holds water and nutrients better than sand or chalk, so once a plant has settled in, it rarely goes short. The challenge is the extremes: heavy and waterlogged in winter, hard and cracked in a dry summer, which not every plant can handle.

The plants here are chosen to cope with that. They tolerate the winter wet and the summer set without sulking, and many actively prefer the steady moisture clay provides. Digging in plenty of organic matter and planting in spring or autumn, rather than the depths of winter, gives them the best start. Avoid working clay when it is sodden, since that compacts it further.

All grown for UK gardens and sent out well rooted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What plants grow well in clay soil?

Plenty do. The plants here are picked to handle heavy ground that sits wet in winter and bakes hard in summer. Many actually prefer the steady moisture and fertility that clay holds so well.

How do I improve clay soil?

Dig in plenty of organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure to open up the structure and help drainage. Avoid working clay when it is wet, since that compacts it, and mulch each year to keep improving it.

When should I plant in clay soil?

Spring and autumn are best, when the soil is moist but workable. Avoid planting in winter when clay is cold and waterlogged, or in the height of summer when it can set rock hard.

Does clay soil need much watering?

Less than lighter soils, since clay holds moisture well. New plants still need regular water while they root in, but established plants on clay usually cope with dry spells better than those on sand or chalk.