What flowers grow well on chalk soil in full sun?

Scabious, Dianthus, Verbascum, Lavender and Erysimum all relish lime and sharp drainage; they are downland and Mediterranean plants by nature.

Can I grow acid-loving plants on chalk?

Not in the open ground. Rhododendrons, camellias and most heathers develop iron chlorosis on chalk; grow them in ericaceous compost in pots instead.

Border Builder

Plants for chalk soil in sun

Lime-tolerant plants for thin, alkaline chalk in full sun.

Thin chalk in full sun is shallow, sharply drained and strongly alkaline, and it punishes lime-haters fast: acid-lovers like rhododendrons and most heathers turn yellow with iron chlorosis and slowly starve. There is little depth to hold water, so the ground dries quickly and stays low in nutrients. Do not fight the pH; work with it. Add organic matter to bulk the thin layer and hold moisture, mulch each spring, and choose plants that relish lime. Plant in autumn while the soil is moist. The list here is built around genuine chalk-lovers, many of them sun-baked downland and Mediterranean plants such as scabious, pinks and aromatic herbs, which thrive on the free drainage and high lime that defeat ericaceous and moisture-greedy plants.

Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 260 plants below and it works them into a full plan: how many of each, where they go, and how the bed reads through the seasons.

260 plants for this

Common questions

What flowers grow well on chalk soil in full sun?: Scabious, Dianthus, Verbascum, Lavender and Erysimum all relish lime and sharp drainage; they are downland and Mediterranean plants by nature.
Can I grow acid-loving plants on chalk?: Not in the open ground. Rhododendrons, camellias and most heathers develop iron chlorosis on chalk; grow them in ericaceous compost in pots instead.

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