Plants That Like Drought and Clay Soil

Bulbs

• Most bulbs will rot over the winter or during times of heavy rainfall. This happens because the clay soil absorbs and holds the water until natural evaporation occurs. Most bulbs require well-drained, fertile soil; however, there are a few that are drought-tolerant and will thrive in clay soil. Blazing star (Liatris), daylily (Hemerocallis) and peony are ideal choices. Blazing star produces tall spikes that are covered with numerous tiny purple flowers that attract butterflies. Daylilies are popular, easy-to-grow plants whose flowers come in a wide array of colors, shapes and sizes. The flowers bloom for one day only. Some varieties bloom just once per season, and some are repeat bloomers. Peonies come in many colors, sizes and shapes. They bloom once a year in mid to late spring.

Perennial Plants

• Clay soil is very compact unless it has been amended with compost or other organic matter. This makes it difficult for most plants roots to penetrate. Selecting plants that thrive under these conditions is the key to success. Plants native to areas where clay soil is prevalent are an option. Do not dig these plants from the wild. Find a nursery that specializes in native plants, and purchase them. Other plants choices include columbine (Aquilegia), aster, coneflower (Echinacea), bee balm (Monarda), Russian sage (Perovskia) and sedum. Columbine attracts hummingbirds into the garden and will self-sow. Fall-blooming aster provides a source of natural nectar for migrating butterflies. Coneflower will bloom all season long if the faded flowers are deadheaded, or cut off. It attracts butterflies and, if allowed to set seed in the fall, goldfinches. Bee balm attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It spreads by underground roots. The moister the soil, the faster it will spread.

Shrubs

• Select shrubs that will thrive in an alkaline pH, which is what most clay soil is. Testing the pH of the soil is a good idea if plants such as pine trees have grown in the vicinity, because the soil could be acidic from the pine needles dropping and composting. Proper planting is also critical. Dig a hole twice the size of the shrub's root ball. Amend it with compost or other organic matter. Backfill the hole until the top of the root ball is higher than the ground around it. Raise the plant 1 inch for every 8 inches of rootball. Shrubs that thrive in clay soil include dogwood (Cornus), forsythia, witch hazel (Hamamelis), honeysuckle (Lonicera) and viburnum. Dogwoods grow best in moist, acidic soil. Forsythia, witch hazel, honeysuckle and viburnum prefer growing in well-drained soil.

Trees

• Trees that thrive in clay include maple (Acer), ash (Fraxinus), lilac (Syringa), black walnut (Juglans nigra), crabapple (Malus), pear (Pyrus), willow (Salix) and pine (Pinus). Plant them using the same method you would use to plant shrubs in clay soil. Water them deeply at least once a week for the first year to help them establish a deep root system. Crabapples, white pine, Scotch pine, red maple and amur maple trees prefer acidic soil. Black walnut does best in clay soils that are lighter in density. Lilacs need well-drained soil. Before planting ash trees, make sure the emerald ash borer is not a problem in your area.