Perennials for Heavy Clay Soil...

Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:29 am

I've got a hill with very heavy clay soil that I'd like to start filling up with a variety of drought tolerant perennials. It's a challenging spot. Pretty much all that grows there now is grass.

I know red clover will grow and I sowed a whole bunch of that a few weeks ago. There's a rose bush in the middle of the hill and it does OK. I planted some comfrey roots a couple weeks ago too and am pretty sure those will do fine. If they can spread, more power to 'em!

I'm open to anything rose bush sized and smaller. The hill is about 30x100 feet.

Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:34 am

Have you considered daylilies? They aren't true lilies, but I think they're very pretty. They come in a dwarf size, as well as full sized. Lots of colors to choose from or mix-and-match.

Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:04 am

I'm assuming since you mentioned a rose bush doing well, that this is a sunny area? Along with Kisal's suggestion of daylilies, which would be super easy and spread quickly, other perennials that would do well in your conditions include liatris/blazing star, coneflower, coreopsis, perennial salvia.

Wed Mar 21, 2012 2:43 pm

Iris will also do fine in clay, feverfew, I even have catnip doing quite well in horrible clay.

Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:38 pm

Thanks for the ideas everyone, I'll be giving them a try and yep - the hill gets plenty of sun.

I do want to get some daylilys established...I put a couple roots in the ground last year, but I don't think they ever came up. Maybe they did and I overlooked them. I picked them up at a big box store, they were weenie little things. I will try again this year --- know where I can get some fat hearty daylily roots?