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 youโll 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 youโve improved its texture. Most of these plants take full sun to partial shade but there are a few that will take shade.
Key: ๐ฆ deer resistant, ๐ rabbit resistant, ๐ shade
Native Plants For Clayey Soil
Ferns:
Matteuccia struthiopteris - Ostrich Fern ๐ฆ๐๐
Onoclea sensibilis - Sensitive Fern ๐ฆ๐๐
Osmunda cinnamomea - Cinnamon Fern ๐ฆ๐๐
Osmunda regalis - Royal Fern ๐ฆ๐๐
Grasses:
Andropogon gerardii - Big Bluestem ๐ฆ
Elymus virginicus var. halophilus - Salt Marsh Wild Rye ๐ฆ
Panicum virgatum - Switch Grass ๐ฆ
Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem ๐ฆ
Sorghastrum nutans - Indian Grass ๐ฆ
Perennials:
Achillea millefolium - Common Yarrow ๐ฆ
Allium cernuum - Nodding Onion ๐
Amsonia tabernaemontona - Bluestar
Anemone canadensis - Windflower ๐ฆ๐๐
Aruncus dioicus - Goatsbeard ๐ฆ๐๐
Asarum canadense - Wild Ginger ๐ฆ๐
Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed ๐๐ฆ
Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed ๐๐ฆ
Baptisia australis - False Indigo ๐
Boltonia asteroides - False Aster
Callirhoe involucrata - Poppy Mallow ๐ฆ
Conoclinium coelestinum - Mist Flower ๐
Echinacea pallida - Pale Purple Coneflower ๐ฆ๐
Echinacea paradoxa - Yellow Coneflower ๐ฆ
Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower
Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake Master ๐ฆ
Eupatorium perfoliatum - Common Boneset ๐ฆ
Eutrochium dubium - Coastal Plain Joe Pye Weed ๐ฆ
Eutrochium fistulosum - Hollow Joe Pye Weed ๐ฆ๐
Eutrochium maculatum - Hollow Joe Pye Weed ๐ฆ
Eurybia macrophylla - Big Leaf Aster ๐
Euthamia graminifolia - Grass-leaved Goldenrod
Helenium autumnale - Helen's Flower ๐ฆ
Heliopsis helianthoides - False Sunflower
Iris versicolor - Blue Flag Iris ๐ฆ๐
Liatris spicata - Blazing Star ๐ฆ
Monarda didyma - Bee Balm ๐ฆ๐
Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot ๐ฆ๐
Oligoneuron rigidum var. rigidum - Stiff Goldenrod ๐ฆ
Packera aurea - Golden Groundsel ๐ฆ๐
Penstemon hirsutus - Hairy Beardtongue ๐ฆ๐
Polygonatum biflorum - Solomon's Seal ๐
Pycnanthemum muticum - Blunt Mountain Mint ๐ฆ๐
Pycnanthemum virginianum - Common Mountain Mint ๐ฆ
Ratibida pinnata - Gray-headed Coneflower๐
Scutellaria incana - Skullcap
Solidago caesia - Bluestem Goldenrod ๐ฆ๐๐
Solidago flexicaulis - Zig Zag Goldenrod ๐ฆ๐
Solidago nemoralis - Gray Goldenrod ๐ฆ
Solidago odora - Sweet Goldenrod ๐ฆ๐
Solidago rugosa - Rough Goldenrod ๐ฆ
Solidago sempervirens - Seaside Goldenrod ๐ฆ
Solidago speciosa - Showy Goldenrod ๐ฆ
Symphyotrichum cordifolium - Blue Wood Aster ๐
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae - New England Aster
Verbena hastata - Blue Vervain๐
Vernonia noveboracensis - New York Ironweed ๐ฆ
Zizia aurea - Golden Alexanders
Sedges:
Carex bicknellii -Bicknell's Sedge ๐ฆ๐
Carex bromoides - Brome-like Sedge ๐ฆ๐๐
Carex grayi - Mace Sedge ๐ฆ๐
Carex plantaginea - Seersucker Sedge๐ฆ๐
Shrubs:
Amelanchier canadensis - Serviceberry
Aronia melanocarpa - Black Chokeberry ๐ฆ
Cornus sericea - Red Twig Dogwood ๐ฆ
Hamamelis virginiana - Common Witch Hazel
Hypericum prolificum - Shrubby St. John's Wort ๐ฆ
Rhus glabra - Smooth Sumac ๐
Sambucus canadensis - Black Elderberry
Viburnum lentago - Nannyberry
Viburnum trilobum - Americana get Cranberry Bush
Trees:
Betula nigra - River Birch ๐ฆ
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 ๐ฆ
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
