Clay Tolerant Plants
For the Rogue Valley
Find plants that will thrive in clay and other heavy soils
Clay soils can be challenging for gardeners here in the Rogue Valley: they’re hard to dig, they’re easily waterlogged, plants tend to grow more slowly in them, and some plants just won’t grow in them at all. While there are a number of strategies you can use to moderate the effects of clay soils, one of the best places to start is to focus on working with plants that tolerate the conditions provided by clay and other heavy soils. The list below is designed to get you off to a good start in selecting plants that will happily grow in these soils!
KEY TO COMMENTS:
W = tolerates wet soil
DR = Deer Resistant
FW = FireWise
N = Native Plant
NSW = No Summer Water
P/W = Pollinator/Wildlife Friendly
Clay tolerant plants list
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| FERNS | ||
| Adiantum sp. | Maidenhair Fern | W, DR, N |
| Asplenium scolopendrium | Hart’s Tongue Fern | W, DR |
| Athyrium nip. Pictum | Japanese Painted Fern | W, DR |
| Blechnum spicant | Deer Fern | W, DR, N |
| Cyrtomium fortunei | Holly Fern | W, DR |
| Dryopteris erythrosora | Autumn Fern | W, DR |
| Matteuccia struthiopteris | Ostrich Fern | W, DR |
| Polystichum sp. | Sword Fern | W, DR, N |
| GRASSES & GRASSLIKE PLANTS | ||
| Andropogon sp. | Big Bluestem Grass | DR |
| Bouteloa ‘Blonde Ambition’ | Blue Grama Grass | DR |
| Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’, ‘Overdam’ | Feather Reed Grass | W, DR |
| Carex sp. | Sedges | W, DR, N (some species) |
| Deschampsia sp. | Tufted Hair Grass | W, DR, N |
| Juncus sp. | Rushes | W, DR, N (some species) |
| Liriope sp. | Lilyturf | DR |
| Miscanthus sinensis | Maiden Grass | W, DR |
| Muhlenbergia sp. | Deer Grass | DR, N |
| Panicum virgatum | Switch Grass | W, DR |
| Pennisetum sp. | Fountain Grass | DR |
| Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem Grass | DR |
| Sporobolus | Prairie Dropseed | DR, N |
| PERENNIALS | ||
| Achillea sp. | Yarrow | DR, N, P/W |
| Aconitum napellus | Monkshood | W, DR |
| Amsonia sp. | Bluestar | DR |
| Anemone japonica | Anemone, Wind Flower | DR |
| Aquilegia formosa | Western Columbine | W, DR, N, P/W |
| Asclepias sp. | Milkweed, Butterflyweed | DR, N (some species), P/W |
| Aster sp. | Aster | P/W |
| Baptisia australis | False Indigo | DR |
| Camassia leichtlinii | Great Camas | W, N, P/W |
| Campanula sp. | Bellflower | DR, FW |
| Canna sp. | Canna Lily | |
| Ceratostigma plumbaginoides | Dwarf Plumbago | W, DR |
| Coreopsis verticillata | Tickseed | W |
| Digitalis sp. | Foxglove | |
| Eupatorium purpureum | Joe Pye Weed | W, DR, P/W |
| Geranium cantabrigiense | Hardy Geranium | DR, FW |
| Geranium sanguineum | Bloody Cranesbill | DR |
| Geum sp. | Geum | |
| Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ | Perennial Sunflower | P/W |
| Hemerocallis sp. | Daylily | W, DR |
| Heuchera sp. | Coral Bells | DR, N (species), P/W |
| Hosta | Hosta | W |
| Iris siberica | Siberian Iris | W, DR |
| Isotoma sp. | Blue Star Creeper | |
| Kniphofia uvaria | Red Hot Poker | DR, P/W |
| Lamium sp. | Deadnettle | W, DR |
| Liatris spicata | Gayfeather | DR, P/W |
| Lysimachia nummularia | Creeping Jenny | W |
| Monarda sp. | Bee Balm | W, DR, P/W |
| Pachysandra terminalis | Pachysandra | |
| Paeonia sp. | Peony | DR, FW |
| Phormium sp. | New Zealand Flax | W |
| Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, ‘Little Henry’ | Black-eyed Susan | DR, P/W |
| Salvia nemorosa | Woodland Sage | DR, P/W |
| Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ | ‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum | DR, FW, P/W, NSW |
| Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ | ‘Fireworks’ Goldenrod | P/W |
| Vinca minor | Dwarf Periwinkle | DR |
| VINES | ||
| Campsis radicans | Trumpet Vine | DR, P/W |
| Lonicera sempervirens | Honeysuckle | DR, P/W |
| Parthenocissus | Virginia Creeper | DR |
| Passiflora | Passionflower | |
| SHRUBS | ||
| Amelanchier alnifolia | Western Serviceberry | N, FW, P/W |
| Arctostaphylos sp. | Manzanita | DR, N, P/W, NSW |
| Aronia | Black Chokeberry | W, FW, P/W |
| Berberis sp. | Barberry | DR, FW |
| Buddleia | Butterfly Bush | DR, P/W |
| Callicarpa | Japanese Beautyberry | W |
| Callistemon | Bottlebrush | DR, P/W |
| Calycanthus occidentalis | Spice Bush | W, DR, N |
| Chaenomeles | Flowering Quince | DR, FW |
| Cornus stolonifera | Red Osier Dogwood | W, FW, N |
| Corylus sp. | Hazelnut | P/W |
| Cotinus coggygria | Smoke Tree | |
| Distylium | Distylium | W, FW, DR |
| Euonymus alatus compactus | Dwarf Burning Bush | DR, FW |
| Garrya elliptica | Western Silk Tassel | FW, N |
| Hamamelis | Witch Hazel | FW, P/W |
| Hibiscus syriacus | Rose of Sharon | W, DR, P/W |
| Hydrangea sp. | Hydrangea | FW |
| Hydrangea macrophylla | Big-leafed Hydrangea | FW |
| Ilex verticillata | Winterberry | W |
| Itea virginica | Virginia Sweetspire | W, DR, FW, P/W |
| Leucothoe | Leucothoe | W, DR |
| Leptospermum sp. | Tea Tree | DR |
| Mahonia sp. | Oregon Grape | DR, FW, N, P/W |
| Myrica californica | Pacific Wax Myrtle | W, DR, FW, N |
| Osmanthus | Sweet Osmanthus | DR, FW, P/W |
| Philadelphus lewisii | Mock Orange | W, DR, FW, N, P/W |
| Physocarpus capitatus | Pacific Ninebark | W, FW, N, P/W |
| Potentilla | Cinquefoil | DR |
| Rhamnus purshiana | Cascara | FW, N |
| Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’ | Fragrant Sumac | FW, N |
| Rhus glabra | Smooth Sumac | FW, N |
| Ribes ‘Crandall’ | ‘Crandall’ Black Currant | DR, FW, P/W |
| Ribes sanguineum | Pink-flowered Currant | DR, FW, N, P/W |
| Rosa nutkana | Nootka Rose | DR, FW, N, P/W |
| Sambucus sp. | Elderberry | W, FW, N (some), P/W |
| Spirea douglasii | Douglas Spirea | W, DR, FW |
| Spiraea japonica ‘Gold Mound’ | ‘Gold Mound’ Spirea | DR, FW |
| Symphoricarpus albus | Snowberry | W, DR, FW, N |
| Syringa | Lilac | FW |
| Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’ | European Cranberry Bush | W |
| TREES | ||
| Acer rubrum | Red Maple | W |
| Acer griseum | Paperbark Maple | |
| Acer saccharinum | Sugar Maple | W |
| Alnus sp. | Alder | W, N (some), P/W |
| Betula nigra | River Birch | W |
| Carpinus carolinia | American Hornbeam | FW |
| Celtis sp. | Hackberry | |
| Cercidiphyllum japonicum | Katsura Tree | |
| Cercis canadensis | Eastern Redbud | FW |
| Chionanthus virginicus | Fringetree | |
| Cornus florida | Flowering Dogwood | FW |
| Cornus kousa | Kousa Dogwood | FW |
| Crataegus sp. | Hawthorn | DR, P/W |
| Gingko biloba | Ginkgo, Maidenhair Tree | DR |
| Fraxinus latifolia | Oregon Ash | W, N |
| Lagerstroemia | Crape Myrtle | DR, FW |
| Liquidambar styraciflua | Liquidambar | W |
| Liriodendron tulipifera | Tulip Poplar | |
| Malus var. | Crabapple | P/W |
| Magnolia sp. | Magnolia | |
| Nyssa sylvatica | Tupelo, Sour Gum | W |
| Parrotia persica | Persian Ironwood | |
| Platanus occidentalis | Sycamore, Plane Tree | W, N |
| Quercus macrocarpa | Bur Oak | DR, P/W |
| Quercus phellos | Willow Oak | W, DR, P/W |
| Sassafras albidum | Sassafras | |
| Thuja plicata | Western Red Cedar | |
| Tilia americana ‘Redmond’ | Linden | P/W |
| Ulmus parvifolia | Chinese Elm, Lacebark Elm | W |
| Zelkova | Zelkova | W |
Want more help?
If you’d like more help with plant, shrub and/or tree selection or assistance with your landscape design, get details on our Design & Consult page about what types of services we provide.
