Alkaline-Loving Flowers

Sweet William

• Sweet William, a flower in the carnation family, thrives in alkaline soil. The 1- to 2-foot plants produce pink, red or white flowers that loosely resemble small carnations. Sweet Williams are biennials, plants that live for about two years.

Coral Bells

• Coral bell flowers and foliage show a wide range of colors. The bell-shaped flowers form on a long stock. Of the many varieties of coral bells, some tolerate a wide range of soil types. Many varieties grow best in a shady site.

Coneflowers

• The uniquely shaped and very hardy coneflowers grow up to 4 feet tall. The colorful blossoms range from orange, purple and white to pink. They thrive in most types of soil, including alkaline soil, and grow throughout the United States.

Phlox

• Small, star-shaped flowers are often abundant on phlox plants. Creeping phlox is a perennial ground cover, while garden phlox plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall. Phlox often grows successfully in alkaline soil.

Salvia

• Often the spiky flowers on salvia plants are a bright red color. But there are many varieties of salvia, and the flowers have a wide range of colors. The annual bedding flowers have a tolerance for alkaline soil.

Yarrow

• The drought-resistant yarrow plants grow up to 3 feet tall. The blossoms are often white or yellow, and the foliage is fernlike and feathery. Yarrow flowers grow successfully in alkaline soil.

Daylilies

• Despite the name, daylilies are not true lilies. The very hardy flowers grow in a wide range of soils and require little care. The blossom colors range from apricot and gold to pink and red.