Plants for Sandy Soil

Q: What plants grow well in sandy soil?

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Q: How do I improve sandy soil?

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Q: Does sandy soil dry out quickly?

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Q: Is sandy soil good for gardening?

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Plants for sandy soil turn light, fast-draining ground into an easy place to garden. The right plants love the sharp drainage that sandy soil offers and shrug off the summer dryness that comes with it.

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Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

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Purple False Shamrock (Mijke)

Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke'

£10.99 £12.99

1

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

Cabbage Tree

Cussonia spicata

£22.99

1

Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis Vulcan Gold

£11.99

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Palm-leaf Begonia

Begonia luxurians

£45.99

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Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web'

£13.99 £14.49

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Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

Cyathea tomentosissima

£16.99

1

Japanese Banana

Musa basjoo

£16.99

1

Firefern 'Nordlys' (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys'

£8.99

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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Blue Passion Flower

Passiflora caerulea

£14.99

1

Silver Velvet Senecio 'Angel Wings'

Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings'

£14.99

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Purple Passion Fruit

Passiflora edulis (Passion Fruit)

£18.99

1

Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

Agave stricta 'Nana'

£10.99

1

Variegated Stonecrop 'Atlantis'

Sedum tekesimense 'Atlantis'

£6.99

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Chocolate Persian Silk Tree

Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate'

£34.99

1

Creeping Wire Vine (Variegated)

Muehlenbeckia Axillaris variegated

£6.99

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Dark Purple Aeonium 'Velours'

Aeonium arboreum 'Velours'

£12.99

1

Wagner's Windmill Palm (Miniature Chusan Palm)

Trachycarpus wagnerianus

£39.99

1

Cider Gum 'Azura'

Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura'

£27.99

1

Blue Fescue

Festuca glauca 'Compact Blue'

£5.49

1

Flame Lily

Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana'

£62.99

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Pineapple Lily

Eucomis comosa | Pineapple Lily

£14.99

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Rice Paper Plant (Chinese Rice-paper Plant)

Tetrapanax papyrifer

£37.99

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Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

Muehlenbeckia complexa

£6.99

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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

Purple False Shamrock (Love Plant)

Oxalis triangularis

£9.99

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Rooper's Red Hot Poker

Kniphofia rooperi

£14.99

1

Dwarf Kowhai, Little Baby

Sophora Little Baby

£9.99

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

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Gardening on sandy soil

Sandy soil is light, gritty and quick to drain. It warms up early in spring and is easy to dig, which plants and gardeners both appreciate, but water and nutrients wash straight through it, so it dries out fast in summer and needs feeding more often than heavier ground.

The plants here are built for exactly that. Many are naturally drought-tolerant, with the deep roots or tough, silver foliage that suit fast-draining ground, so they cope with the dryness that would stress a thirstier plant. Adding organic matter helps the soil hold a little more moisture, and a mulch each spring keeps it from drying out too quickly. Sandy soil is also the easiest place to grow anything that hates winter wet.

All grown for UK gardens and sent out well rooted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What plants grow well in sandy soil?

Drought-tolerant plants thrive here: those with deep roots or tough, silver foliage suit the sharp drainage and cope with summer dryness. Sandy soil is also perfect for anything that hates sitting wet in winter.

How do I improve sandy soil?

Dig in plenty of organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure to help it hold water and nutrients, and mulch each spring. Feeding little and often through the growing season makes up for what drains away.

Does sandy soil dry out quickly?

Yes, water drains through it fast, so it dries out quicker than clay or loam in summer. New plants need regular watering, but established drought-tolerant plants cope well once their roots go down.

Is sandy soil good for gardening?

It has real advantages. It is easy to dig, warms up early in spring, and never waterlogs, which suits a huge range of sun-loving and drought-tolerant plants. It just needs feeding and mulching to make up for fast drainage.