Plants for Clay Soils

Melaleuca squarrosa and Callistemon citrinus

Changing the structure of soil or importing soil to your garden can be expensive and time consuming. It is usually the best option to adapt your plant selection to suit the soil, rather than adapt your soil to suit your plant selection.

Clay soil is made up of millions of tiny particles, giving it a very fine texture. This has advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, clay soils are rich in nutrients (the particles provide multiple surfaces where nutrients can ‘stick’) and they hold water well. However, they are also prone to compaction, waterlogging, and can be sticky when wet and tough when dry. These problems are made worse if a clay soil is cultivated when wet.

Callistemon salignus, Acmena smithii and Lomandra longifolia

For a plant, this means it will have to work harder for its roots to grow through the soil, compaction in the soil will exclude air from the roots, and waterlogging can cause the roots to rot and kill the plant.

Therefore, it is important when choosing plants for clay soils, that they are chosen from species which grow naturally in clay soils. It is also important to select plants that will either tolerate dry clay soils or water logged clay soils depending upon your specific location.

If you are unsure what to use and need more advice please see our Consultation page.

Dianella – Blue Flax Lily