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Garden Obstacles: Clayey Soil

Updated: Jan 25

It doesn't happen often on Long Island but there are some areas with pockets of soil with clay in them. It's usually still well draining because our natural soil is a sandy loam. Improve the texture of your clay soil and youโ€™ll be able to plant even more species. Amend it by mixing in organic matter, such as mulched leaves and compost. Position plants so the top of the crown or root ball is slightly above the top of the soil (about 1"). This will help prevent their suffocating in the event the clay stays too soggy even after youโ€™ve improved its texture. Most of these plants take full sun to partial shade but there are a few that will take shade.


Key: ๐ŸฆŒ deer resistant, ๐Ÿ‡ rabbit resistant, ๐ŸŒš shade


Native Plants For Clayey Soil


Ferns:

Matteuccia struthiopteris - Ostrich Fern ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸŒš

Onoclea sensibilis - Sensitive Fern ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸŒš

Osmunda cinnamomea - Cinnamon Fern ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸŒš

Osmunda regalis - Royal Fern ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸŒš


Grasses:

Andropogon gerardii - Big Bluestem ๐ŸฆŒ

Elymus virginicus var. halophilus - Salt Marsh Wild Rye ๐ŸฆŒ

Panicum virgatum - Switch Grass ๐ŸฆŒ

Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem ๐ŸฆŒ

Sorghastrum nutans - Indian Grass ๐ŸฆŒ


Perennials:

Achillea millefolium - Common Yarrow ๐ŸฆŒ

Allium cernuum - Nodding Onion ๐Ÿ‡

Amsonia tabernaemontona - Bluestar

Anemone canadensis - Windflower ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸŒš

Aruncus dioicus - Goatsbeard ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸŒš

Asarum canadense - Wild Ginger ๐ŸฆŒ๐ŸŒš

Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸฆŒ

Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸฆŒ

Baptisia australis - False Indigo ๐Ÿ‡

Boltonia asteroides - False Aster

Callirhoe involucrata - Poppy Mallow ๐ŸฆŒ

Conoclinium coelestinum - Mist Flower ๐ŸŒš

Echinacea pallida - Pale Purple Coneflower ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡

Echinacea paradoxa - Yellow Coneflower ๐ŸฆŒ

Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower

Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake Master ๐ŸฆŒ

Eupatorium perfoliatum - Common Boneset ๐ŸฆŒ

Eutrochium dubium - Coastal Plain Joe Pye Weed ๐ŸฆŒ

Eutrochium fistulosum - Hollow Joe Pye Weed ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡

Eutrochium maculatum - Hollow Joe Pye Weed ๐ŸฆŒ

Eurybia macrophylla - Big Leaf Aster ๐Ÿ‡

Euthamia graminifolia - Grass-leaved Goldenrod

Helenium autumnale - Helen's Flower ๐ŸฆŒ

Heliopsis helianthoides - False Sunflower

Iris versicolor - Blue Flag Iris ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡

Liatris spicata - Blazing Star ๐ŸฆŒ

Monarda didyma - Bee Balm ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡

Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡

Oligoneuron rigidum var. rigidum - Stiff Goldenrod ๐ŸฆŒ

Packera aurea - Golden Groundsel ๐ŸฆŒ๐ŸŒš

Penstemon hirsutus - Hairy Beardtongue ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡

Polygonatum biflorum - Solomon's Seal ๐ŸŒš

Pycnanthemum muticum - Blunt Mountain Mint ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡

Pycnanthemum virginianum - Common Mountain Mint ๐ŸฆŒ

Ratibida pinnata - Gray-headed Coneflower๐Ÿ‡

Scutellaria incana - Skullcap

Solidago caesia - Bluestem Goldenrod ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸŒš

Solidago flexicaulis - Zig Zag Goldenrod ๐ŸฆŒ๐ŸŒš

Solidago nemoralis - Gray Goldenrod ๐ŸฆŒ

Solidago odora - Sweet Goldenrod ๐ŸฆŒ๐ŸŒš

Solidago rugosa - Rough Goldenrod ๐ŸฆŒ

Solidago sempervirens - Seaside Goldenrod ๐ŸฆŒ

Solidago speciosa - Showy Goldenrod ๐ŸฆŒ

Symphyotrichum cordifolium - Blue Wood Aster ๐Ÿ‡

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae - New England Aster

Verbena hastata - Blue Vervain๐Ÿ‡

Vernonia noveboracensis - New York Ironweed ๐ŸฆŒ

Zizia aurea - Golden Alexanders


Sedges:

Carex bicknellii -Bicknell's Sedge ๐ŸฆŒ๐ŸŒš

Carex bromoides - Brome-like Sedge ๐ŸฆŒ๐Ÿ‡๐ŸŒš

Carex grayi - Mace Sedge ๐ŸฆŒ๐ŸŒš

Carex plantaginea - Seersucker Sedge๐ŸฆŒ๐ŸŒš


Shrubs:

Amelanchier canadensis - Serviceberry

Aronia melanocarpa - Black Chokeberry ๐ŸฆŒ

Cornus sericea - Red Twig Dogwood ๐ŸฆŒ

Hamamelis virginiana - Common Witch Hazel

Hypericum prolificum - Shrubby St. John's Wort ๐ŸฆŒ

Rhus glabra - Smooth Sumac ๐Ÿ‡

Sambucus canadensis - Black Elderberry

Viburnum lentago - Nannyberry

Viburnum trilobum - Americana get Cranberry Bush


Trees:

Betula nigra - River Birch ๐ŸฆŒ

Celtis occidentalis - Common Hackberry

Magnolia virginiana - Sweetbay

Nyssa sylvatica - Black Gum

Prunus virginiana - Chokecherry

Quercus bicolor - Swamp White Oak

Salix discolor - Pussy Willow


Vines:

Clematis virginiana - Virgin's Bower ๐ŸฆŒ

Top Row: Common Yarrow, Nodding Onion, Swamp Milkweed

Second Row: River Birch, Mace Sedge, Mist Flower

Third Row: Common Boneset in bud, Grass-leaved Goldenrod, False Sunflower

Fourth Row: Crested Iris, Blue Flag Iris, Sensitive Fern

Fifth Row: Royal Fern, Blunt Mountain Mint in bud, Zig Zag Goldenrod

Bottom Row: Indian Grass, Blue Vervain, Zizia aurea with Black Swallowtail caterpillar

Pictures: KMS Native Plants LLC


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