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Clay Soil! It has a bad reputation among gardeners and flower aficionados due to how dense and compact it can get. However, clay soil actually holds some of the best nutrients for growing plants! If you have clay soil, the best thing you can do is to grow flowers that will THRIVE in clay! I've compiled the list of flowers below that will thrive in Clay Soil. 25 BEST PLANTS TO GROW IN CLAY SOIL: BLANKET FLOWER WILD BERGAMOT BEE BALM NEW YORK IRONWEED TALL SUNFLOWER CUP PLANT COMPASS PLANT GOLDEN ALEXANDER PLAINS COREOPSIS PARTRIDGE PEA COMMON MILKWEED SWAMP MILKWEED BUTTERFLY WEED BLUE FALSE INDIGO AROMATIC ASTER NEW ENGLAND ASTER FALSE SUNFLOWER BLAZING STAR PALE PURPLE CONEFLOWER PURPLE CONEFLOWER BLACK EYED SUSAN WINECUP LITTLE BLUESTEM BIG BLUESTEM SIDE OATS GRAMMA Purchase Seed We have ordered a variety of native flower seeds from Everwilde Farms, which you can order right from Amazon through our link on our RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS PAGE. (We may earn a small commission when you purchase through our links, at no cost to you. This helps support our website.) What is Clay Soil? Clay soil is made up of small particles that bond tightly together. These tight bonds (or clumping) can make it difficult for water to be absorbed, or to drain well. If the clay soil is dry, water tends to flow over or through cracks, leaving the main soil volume dry. Furthermore clay soil can be very difficult to dig up, as it is heavy and clumps together. Clay soil that is densely compacted will make it hard for the roots of some species of flowers to grow. Additionally, if the clay doesn't drain well and is too moist then certain species roots will rot. How can I tell if I have clay soil? Perform the following test below to determine if you have clay soil. Take a shovel full, or handful of soil Place the soil in a cup of water and mix so that it is thoroughly saturated Remove the soil and roll it into a long tube about 4x as long as wide Hold the tube vertically If the tube does not break, you have clay soil If the tube breaks, it is partially clay If the tube does not break, it is sandy soil How to make clay soil lighter, and easier to work The easiest way to make clay soil easier to dig, till and work is to heavily amend with compost and organic matter. By adding organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings, and veggie scraps you will loosen up the bonds of clay soil. This will not only unlock the nutrients for plant consumption, but make it easier to take a shovel full of dirt. Want to learn more about composting? Click here How to improve drainage in clay soil for flowers To make clay soil drain much better, you need to break it up with organic matter (as described above). You don't need to do this to an entire flower bed or yard though. You can focus on the space where you want to grow a plant. To improve the drainage of clay soil, perform the following steps Dig your hole twice the diameter of the plant, and at least twice as deep. I often will will stab my shovel or trowel an extra few inches deeper, and put compost directly into the cavity from the shovel. This just provides a further degree of drainage. Mix compost into the soil that was removed to a 1:3 ratio. So, if you removed about 1 gallon of soil, you should use about 1/3 gallon of compost. Add a handful or compost to the bottom of the hole. Fill in the bottom 60% your hole with your soil/compost mix. You want the hole to be slightly shallower so that the top of the plant is just above the ground level. Place your plant in the hole, then add the soil/compost mix. You should be able to create a slight mound with the plant. This helps provide a bit more drainage. The absolute best way to garden with Clay Soil By far the best way to grow a flower garden that has clay soil is to use plants that LIKE to GROW in Clay Soil! Don't fight nature! Embrace it! There are a ton of flowers that you can grow in clay soil that require little to no maintenance and look beautiful! The list below are plants that will grow really well in CLAY SOIL! Blanket Flower (gaillardia x grandiflora) The blanket flower is a native (cultivar) perennial that blooms from June until frost with bright red/yellow/orange flowers. It laughs in the face of clay soil, and will stay upright through storms. This full sun loving plant is visited heavily by bumblebees and other pollinators. Wild Bergamot (monarda fistulosa) For a wildflower that blooms long, is drought tolerant, and attracts almost every kind of pollinator look no further than Wild Bergamot, aka Wild Beebalm. A group of several specimens of Wild Bergamot will bring in everything from hummingbirds, large Swallowtail butterflys to a variety of bees. Blooming for a month or more in mid-summer, this flower has one of the most unique and interesting blooms. Beebalm (monarda didyma) Also known as Crimson Beebalm, or Scarlet Beebalm, this beautiful flower will begin blooming in early Spring and last until Mid-Summer. Like Wild Bergamot it will bring in a large variety of pollinators. But beebalm is also a favorite of hummingbirds! Beebalm has shallow roots and can grow in moist to medium conditions. So, clay soil is no problem! (more…)