Plants for Acid Soils
As a result of mineral content or decaying vegetation, some soils are especially acidic and may be particularly pronounced where drainage isn't good.
Each soil type—sandy, rich, poor, clay, for example—requires a different degree of amendment. Heavy clay soils tend to require more than sandy soils. Frequently, garden beds need to be treated over time to improve them. It's very difficult to create just the right soil type in one season. Testing the pH is fairly easy and will provide a baseline for corrective action.
While soils can be amended with additions of lime, it's often more practical, especially in areas of your yard or garden that you don't actively garden, to add plants that are tolerant of acid soils.
The following listing of plant materials is generally best suited to warmer zones, but many of the herbaceous plants can be treated as seasonal interest, tender perennials, or overwintered in the greenhouse.
Trees, Plants, and Shrubs for Acid Soils
| Trees | Shrubs | Vines | Herbaceous Plants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clethra arborea Embothrium coccineum Liquidambar (species) Litchi chinensis Magnolia grandiflora Pinus (species) Quercus chrysolepis Quercus virginiana Sequoia sempervirens Sequoiadendron giganteum Stenocarpus sinuatus Taxodium distichum |
Abelia floribunda Arbutus unedo Azalea (species) Azara microphylla Berberidopsis coralline Boronia elatior Brunfelsia calycina Camellia (species) Daphne odora Entelea arboreacens Ervatamia nervosa Eurya (species) Fabiana imbricate Fuschia (species) Gardenia (species) Heterocentron roseum Hydrangea macrophylla Illicium floridanum Ixora chinensis Leucothoe axillaries Luculia gratissima Mackaya bella Magnolia stellata Myrica californica Myrtus ugni Oehna multiflora Osmanthus fragrans Pimelea ferruginia Rhododendron Ruellia devosiana Ternstroemia japonica Thea sinensis Tibouchina (species) Vaccinium virgatum |
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Gelsemium sempervirens Lonicera sempervirens Philadelphus mexicanus Polygonum auberti Stizolobium deeringianum Tropacolum pergrinum Vitis voinieriana |
Acaena microphyllia Acanthus mollis Achimenes longiflora Allium schoenprasm Anemone coronaria Aquileia chrysantha Begonia (species) Beloperone guttata Bergenia (species) Bessera elegans Caldium picturatum Centaureum massoni Cineraria cruenta Clitoria ternatea Coleus blumei Cyclamen inidcum Delphinium nudicaule Dicentra spectabilis Dodecatheon clevelandi Francoa ramose Gladiolus hortulanus Gloxinia speciosa Haemanthus (species) Helleborus lividus Iris delta species Iris hexagona Iris kaempferi Iris pseudacorus Leucojum autumnale Lilium longiflorum Lilium testeaceum Lotus corniculatus Miscanthus sinensis Nerine (species) Penstemon australis Pteris aquiline Schizocentron roseum Stachys floridana Thalictrum dipterocarpum Tropaeolum speciosum Viola (species) Watsonia iridifolia Zantedeschia (species) Zephyranthes (species) |
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