Plants for clay soil in shade

Tough plants for the hardest spot: heavy clay in shade.

Clay shade combines two of the most awkward conditions in one border: heavy, cold, slow-draining soil and a lack of direct light, often in the damp shadow on the north side of a house or under trees. The plants that cope are a tough and specific group, tolerant of soil that stays wet in winter and dry in a tree's summer rain shadow alike, and they tend to rely on bold foliage rather than sun-hungry flower. Never work clay when it is wet, open it up with grit and organic matter, and plant slightly proud so crowns do not sit in cold water. These plants are chosen to thrive in exactly that combination of heavy soil and shade where so many others sulk or rot.

Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 199 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.

199 plants for this

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