By Ann Lapides
Photo: Cardinal Flower
Mastering the heavy clay soil of the Gateway City area starts with choosing the right varieties for the job. While clay is often a challenge for us St. Louis gardeners, it is also incredibly fertile, serving as a “nutrient bank” that retains water and minerals far more effectively than sandy soils. The key to a thriving landscape is selecting resilient plants that naturally adapt to our dense, moisture-retentive conditions, or to dry, dense clay. Naturally, native plants are acclimated to our climate and soil.
Read on to discover plants that work well in clay. These tough, proven performers—from deep-rooted perennials to sturdy shrubs—possess the strong root systems needed to anchor firmly in heavy clay soil and thrive through both our soggy springs and bake-oven summers.
Perennials: Cardinal Flower pictured, Virginia Bluebells, Celandine Poppy, Swamp Milkweed, False Blue Indigo, Purple Poppy Mallow, Blazing Star, Coneflower
Shrubs and Trees: Sweetspire, Weigela, Butterfly Bush, Forsythia, Smooth Hydrangea, Panicle Hydrangea, Winterberry, Blackberry, Elderberry, Serviceberry, Sassafras, Witch Hazel
Ferns: Ostrich Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Christmas Fern, Sensitive Fern, Royal Fern.
See more Clay busting plants at www.sugarcreekgardens.com, or visit Sugar Creek Gardens plant nursery located in Kirkwood, Missouri.