Plants for Poor Soils
We are not all fortunate enough to have rich perfect garden soil. Often there are at least a few areas in the yard that are less than ideal conditions. Areas near a downspout, with compacted soil from heavy traffic and construction, or just due to nature certain plants just won’t grow there. Most often, these poor soils result in areas that either stay too wet or hold very little moisture and stay too dry. Rest assured, there are plants that will thrive there. Plants will adapt to certain conditions allowing them to take full advantage of a location in areas of poor drainage or drought conditions.
Poor, Dry Soils
Dry soils, as the name implies, contain a very small amount of moisture. Plants for these areas need to be able to store their own moisture within themselves. Such plants usually have thicker leaves and stems as well as modified root systems to better absorb any available moisture. The following is a list of plants that have adapted for survival in dry soils.
Trees |
Shrubs |
Mohican Viburnum Perennials |
Gaillardia grandiflora |
Poor, Wet Soils
Wet soils can exist in areas with either good or bad drainage It is important to note the difference as this will greatly affect the plant’s success. Wet soils with good drainage allow for a situation where the soil absorbs the water and remains moist while the excess water drains through. Wet soils that do not drain well will absorb the water and remain moist in addition to forcing the plant to be situated in standing water.
Excessive water in the soil does not leave much room for oxygen, an important element to plant roots. Too much water without the presence of oxygen effectively drowns the plant and could result in death. To remedy this, these poorly draining soils would benefit from the addition of soil amendments to create better drainage. Mixing in a coarse organic matter, such as cotton burr compost, would increases the soil’s texture and create better movement of water within the soil.
The following list of plants are those that are generally more tolerant of most or wet root zones, however, the drainage capabilities may affect plant success.
Trees |
Shrubs |
Perennials |
Lobelia siphilitica |
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