Top 11+ perennials you can plant in clay soil

Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Clay soil is not a gardener's delight. I have had to deal with the clay soil in the Midlands of South Carolina for years. And even with what feels like a mountain of compost worked in, I still find spots that could be dug out to make pottery. One way I've adapted is selecting plants—perennials, in particular—that perform well in clay. Once established, these hardy plants adapt to the weight of the soil and return every year. Here are 11 perennials that you can plant in clay soil.

Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Bleeding Heart

If you are looking for a blooming perennial that thrives in the shade, plant a bleeding heart. The delicate pink, red, or white flowers on arching stems appear in late spring, blooming for up to six weeks in cooler hardiness zones. Growers in warmer zones often get a rebloom in the fall when cooler weather arrives.

  • Botanical Name: Lamprocapnos spectabilis
  • Sun Exposure: Deep shade, partial sun
  • Soil pH: Neutral to Alkaline
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a - 9b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Bee Balm

A member of the mint family, bee balm flowers can range from lavender to pink to scarlet to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Even in clay soils, bee balm will spread quickly, so keep an eye on it and divide your patch every couple of years in the early spring.

  • Botanical Name: Monarda didyma
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil pH: 6.0-6.7
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a - 9b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Garden Phlox

Garden phlox seems to thrive wherever it is planted. An "old-fashioned" perennial, you can find blue, pink, red, lavender, or white blooming cultivars. The fragrant flowers put on a show from mid-June until frost if you deadhead spent flowers.

  • Botanical Name: Phlox paniculata
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil pH: Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a - 8b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Shasta Daisy

Shasta daisies are resilient perennials that bloom from July until frost. There are single and double cultivars offering variations on the classic yellow center encircled by white petals. Most varieties bloom on stems around 3 to 4 feet high.

  • Botanical Name: Leucanthemum × superbum
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil pH: Neutral
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a - 9b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Purple Coneflower

One of the most popular and adaptive perennials for clay soils is the purple coneflower. Blooming from early June through September, it is perfect in a border, growing 3 to 4 feet tall. A low-maintenance plant, you can find other cultivars in white, orange, yellow, red, and green.

  • Botanical Name: Echinacea purpurea
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil pH: Neutral
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a - 8b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Threadleaf Coreopsis

A long-blooming perennial, threadleaf coreopsis has daisy-like flowers and delicate foliage from spring until frost. To get a second show of flowers after the peak of summer, shear the plants back for fall blooms.

  • Botanical Name: Coreopsis verticillata
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a - 9b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Lamb's Ear

Deer and rabbit-resistant, lamb's ear has velvety leaves, grows well in clay soil, is drought-tolerant, and spreads easily. While it does produce small pink, white, or purple flowers, it is planted for its silvery leaves as a complement to other plants.

  • Botanical Name: Stachys byzantina
  • Sun Exposure: Partial shade
  • Soil pH: Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a - 9b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Lilyturf

Lilyturf grows about 6 to 12 inches tall, and is ideal for walkway or flowerbed borders or to fill bare spots under trees. Depending on the cultivar, this perennial produces spiky white or lavender flowers in the summer, and blue-black berries in the fall.

  • Botanical Name: Liriope spicata
  • Sun Exposure: Deep shade to dappled sunlight
  • Soil pH: Neutral
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a - 10b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Lily of the Valley

The fragrant, white, bell-shaped flowers of lily of the valley perfume the air each spring. This perennial acts as a good groundcover in deep shade because it naturalizes easily and is rabbit and deer-resistant.

  • Botanical Name: Convallaria majalis  
  • Sun Exposure: Deep shade
  • Soil pH: Acidic, neutral
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a - 7b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Black Eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susans are one of my favorite perennials because they tolerate heat, drought, and bad soil with very little care. This perennial blooms for weeks and spreads easily. You'll always have some to share with friends.

  • Botanical Name: Rudbeckia hirta  
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil pH: Acidic, neutral, alkaline
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a - 8b
Bleeding Heart, Bee Balm, Garden Phlox, Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Threadleaf Coreopsis, Lamb's Ear, Lilyturf, Lily of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Butterfly Weed

Butterfly Weed

A North American native perennial, butterfly weed is drought-tolerant and thrives in poor soil thanks to its long taproot. Surviving along roadsides, it produces orange, gold, red, or yellow clusters of flowers that are magnets for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

  • Botanical Name: Asclepias tuberosa 
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil pH: Acidic, neutral, alkaline
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a - 9b

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