Plants for clay soils or clay loams

The following plants generally tolerate (or in some cases prefer) clay soils that are poorly drained but not boggy in winter, and that tend to dry out in summer. Of course, other factors can play a part in a plant’s success, so this list is a guideline only.

See also our related story on growing plants in clay soils here.

See more about these plants on our Plant Profile database: https://resources.austplants.com.au/plant-database/

Shrubs and trees

Plant botanical name	Characteristics
Acacia decurrens	Bright yellow flowers, feather foliage, up to 15 metres high
Acacia fimbriata	Yellow flowers, up to 8 metres high
Acacia glaucoptera	Bizarre foliage, yellow flowers, up to 1.5 metres high
Acacia iteaphylla	Pale yellow flowers, weeping greyish foliage, up to five metres high
Acacia parramattensis	Cream ball shaped flowers, up to 10 metres high Flowers in summer
Acacia pubescens	Yellow flowers, rare local species, up to 3 metres high
Acacia prominens	Yellow flowers, up to 9 metres high
Astartea fascicularis	Small pale pink flowers, up to 1 metre high
Baeckea linifolia	White flowers, weeping shrub to 4 metres high
Baeckea virgata	Masses of white flowers, to 4 metres high
banksia integrifolia	Yellow flower spikes, to 15 metres high
Bauera sessilifolia	Mauve pink flowers, erect shrub to 2 metres high
Callistemon species	Most species are suitable and have flower colours in the red, pink, mauve tones (green in C. pinifolius)
Calytrix tetragona	Starlike flowers from white to deep pink, variable height up to 2 metres
Correa alba	White flowers, to one metre high
Correa ‘’Dusky Bells’	Pinkish flowers, to 1.5 metres high
Correa reflexa	Various colours, to 1.5 metres high
Darwinia citriodora	Reddish orange flowers although not prominent, lemon scented leaves, to 1 metre high
Elaeocarpus reticulatus	White or pink flowers, a slender tree to 8 metres high
Grevillea ‘Canterbury Gold’	Golden coloured flowers, a prostrate to 2 metres high
Grevillea ‘Moonlight’	Cream flowers, to 4 metres high
Grevillea barklyana	Pink toothbrush flowers, a large shrub/tree to 8 metres high
Grevillea juniperina	Many flower colours available, a prostrate plant to 1.5 metres wide
Grevillea lanigera	Cream to pinkish flowers growing to 1.5 metres high
Grevillea sp. grafted	Many of the Grevillea species that have been grafted onto a hardy rootstock such as Grevillea robusta
Hymenosporum flavum	Native frangipani with yellow fragrant flowers, growing to 6 metres high
Indigofera australis	Sprays of deep pink flowers, variable 1 to 2 metres high
Kunzea parvifolia	Pink flowers, a spreading plant to 1.4 metres high by 3 metres across
Leptospermum ‘Cardwell’	White flowers, a weeping shrub to 1.5 metres high
Leptospermum petersonii	White flowers with lemon scented leaves, growing to 6 metres high
Leptospermum scoparium	White flowers growing to 2 metres high
Melaleuca fulgens	Red or orange flowers to 1.5 metres wide and 1.5 metres high
Melaleuca hypericifolia	Orange to red flowers to 3 metres across by 2.5 metres high
Melaleuca lateritia	Orange to red flowers, to 2 metres high
Melaleuca styphelioides	White flowers, prickly leaved paperbark, a small tree to 8 metres high
Melaleuca thymifolia	Purple flowers, 1 metre wide by 1 metre high
Philotheca difformis	White starry flowers up to 1 metre high
Philotheca myoporoides	White starry flowers up to 1 metre high
Thryptomene saxicola	Paynes hybrid has pink flowers and grows to 1.2 metres high
Westringia fruticosa	White flowers to 2 metres high by 4 metres wide
Westringia longifolia	White to pale blue flowers, to 2 metres high

Ground cover shrubs

Plant botanical name	Characteristics
Banksia integrifolia ‘Roller Coaster’	A vigorous prostrate shrub with yellow flowers
Bauera rubiodies	Pink flowers, 1 metre high by 2 metres wide with purple flowers
Brachyscome angustifolia	A spreading shrub about 1 metre high
Brachyscome multifida	A spreading shrub about 1 metre high
Commelina cyanea	Native Wandering Jew with small blue flowers. Can be very vigorous on clay
Grevillea ‘Royal Mantle’	Red toothbrush flowers, to 2 metres wide
Myoporum parvifolium	White flowers to 1.5m high, more if some moisture

Vines, climbers that act as ground covers

Plant botanical name	Characteristics
Hardenbergia violacea	A prostrate or climbing plant with purple flowers. There are also white cultivar and shrubby forms available
Hibbertia serpyllifolia	Yellow flowers growing to about 1 metre high
Kennedia rubicunda	A prostrate runner with red flowers

Grasses

Plant botanical name	Characteristics
Dianella caerulea	Blue flowers with strap like leaves, to 1 metre high
Dianella revoluta	Bright blue flowers with yellow anthers on spikes to 1 metre followed by bright blue fruits
Lomandra hystrix	Clumping plant with strappy leaves, clump to 1.5 metres high and about 1 metre wide
Lomandra longifolia	Clumping strappy leaves, to 1 metre high
Oplismenus spp	Basket grass, a thick mat forming grass or ground cover for shady damp areas. Can be mown
Viola betonicifolia	A tiny shrub with violet flowers grows to 20 centimetres high
Viola hederacea	A tiny shrub with violet flowers grows to 20 centimetres high

To download a PDF of this story see Plants for clay soils or clay loams

By Uploaded by Heather Miles

Shrubs and trees

Ground cover shrubs

Vines, climbers that act as ground covers

Grasses