15 Native Plants That Thrive in Clay Soil

Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus)

Aruncus are in the rose family, and produce show-stopping clusters of creamy white flowers. Despite their name, Aruncus dioicus are not truly dioecious—that is, they don't have male and female reproductive organs on separate plants. Some of the plants will produce “perfect” flowers with both male and female organs.

Fortunately, the plants also spread via underground rhizomes, which can be divided in spring, but buy multiple plants if you want them to self-sow by seed.

Canada Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)

About 70 species of wild ginger make up the Asarum genus. A. canadense is the most common North American native. Low-growing with heart-shaped leaves, wild ginger looks and smells like but is unrelated to commercial ginger, Zingiber officinalis. Wild ginger is grown more for its leaves than its dark-colored flowers, which are insignificant, blooming under the leaves, close to the soil, barely noticed, and pollinated by ants. Still, the plants make excellent ground covers in shady spots, and can cover bare ground quickly.

New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)

New England Asters are a butterfly's and gardener's favorite, a late-season bloomer when most other flowers have stopped producing nectar. Their daisy-shaped flowers from purple to white sit atop tall stems that rarely need staking, though they will lose their stiffness as the fall season progresses. They easily spread and need little to no care.

Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

Baptisia are members of the pea family and look like overgrown pea plants. Commonly known as false indigo, they have long been used as dye plants. Their rattling dried pods make interesting additions to dried flower arrangements. Blue false indigo opens in early summer.

Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora)

Coreopsis are drought-tolerant and heat-loving. They are not picky, and will grow in any type of soil, but prefers nutrient-poor soil. Birds will feed on their seeds, while pollinators are attracted to their long-blooming flowers. Coreopsis come in a variety of colors, usually yellow or reddish-orange. Blooms can start as early as late spring. Dead-head the flowers to stimulate a second bloom, but allow some to go to seed so that they self-sow.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Purple coneflowers are a sight common to prairies and gardens alike. Their daisy-shaped purple (or sometimes white) flowers with distinctive pincushion-shaped centers. Coneflowers are great adapters, able to tolerate rocky, clay, sandy, or loam soil. They are also good at attracting butterflies and bees for their nectar. Let them overwinter to allow birds to forage for seeds they've missed in the summer. What the birds miss will self-sow.

Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.)

While Joe-Pye weed does best in rich, well-draining soil, it's not picky and can tolerate frequently wet, clay soil. Cultivars should be propagated by cuttings or division, but standard species will self-sow. Blooming in early fall after most other bloomers have given up for the year, their showy, fuzzy flowers are like a late-night snack for pollinators before they, too, retire for the year.

Blazing star (Liatris spicata)

Also known as gayfeather or just Liatris, blazing stars are have adapted themselves to just about any soil across the entirety of North America—from chalky to clay to loam and sand. Their long-blooming flower spikes are composed of multiple florets that bloom from top to bottom, and are popular with butterflies and bees. They work great in mass plantings.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Cardinal flower (L. cardinalis) grows along marshes, streams, or ponds, which tend to have higher clay content and drain poorly. It can even be grown in a few inches of water. Keep its feet wet and it will bloom in mid to late summer.

Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica)

Virginia bluebells brighten up a shady area with pink buds opening into clusters of bell-shaped flowers. Bluebells self-sow and can be moved in spring, but once established, their deep taproots make them difficult to transplant.

An early native bloomer, bluebells can attract the season's first bees. They can keep blooming into the start of summer. Keep them moist, especially in sunnier areas, as they are more accustomed to thriving in woodlands.

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Bee balm, or bergamot, is a cottage garden favorite, with unique spiky flower heads growing in clusters. In the mint family, it will readily spread by underground rhizomes, so divide the colonies to keep them in check if they are crowding out other species. This long-blooming perennial is popular with hummingbirds, butterflies, as well as, of course, bees.

Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)

The familiar fiddleheads of a cinnamon fern emerge in early spring, then unfurl into 2-3-foot long, spore-bearing fronds. The plant is so-named for the fact that its fronds turn from green to cinnamon brown once their spores are dispersed, finally turning yellow in autumn. It can be found naturally along bogs and streams, so it prefers shady areas that are constantly moist, where it will easily naturalize.

Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum)

Plants in the Polygonatum genus go by various incarnations of “Solomon's Seal,” front “Great” to “Dwarf” and “Fragrant.” Each produce greenish-white tubular flowers hanging from arching stems that bear ovate leaves. The flowers bloom in late spring to early summer, then give way to blackish berries. The plants are slow-growing from seed, but are easily propagated by division and transplanting.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

A familiar sight in many gardens, black-eyed Susans are but one of 20 or so species in the Rudbeckia genus, of which the best-known is Rudbeckia hirta. Fast-growing and freely self-sowing, black-eyed Susans are one of the easiest perennials to grow, tolerating drought and moisture alike. Leave its “eyes” over winter for birds to forage for seeds once the petals have dropped.

Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

Canada goldenrods signal the imminent arrival of fall. They are an easy species to grow in most conditions, from clay to sand. They are great pollinators and spread easily by rhizomes underground. Give them room to spread to give a meadow-like appearance.