13 plants that grow and thrive in poor soil

Read most plant labels and you’ll be left with the impression that most plants need well-draining, nutrient-rich soil to grow. Yet many plants in their natural habitat grow in conditions that would be considered sub-optimal – and guess what? They are still thriving. Although many plants prefer or need nutrient-rich soils to reach their full potential, there are many plants that thrive in what is considered poor or low-quality soil—generally defined as soil lacking in nutrients and microorganisms.

“Plants grow all over the world in almost every possible soil type,” says Kelly Norris, gardener and author of A new naturalism and the upcoming Your natural garden. “The challenge for gardeners is to figure out how to adapt to the soils they have, which at first glance may seem limiting.” His recommendation for changing your perspective? “Adopt an attitude of creating a garden that can I’m thriving where you grow,” he says. “The options are almost always more abundant than they appear at first glance.”

Knowing the type of soil you have in your garden is the first step to finding what will grow well and thrive. Next, you will need to learn about the many plants that can do well in poor quality soil. To that end, we talked to Norris and other gardening experts about which plants to choose if your soil isn’t ideal. The following plants, from lemon balm and lavender to conifers, will thrive in your garden regardless of soil quality.

Bee balm

It’s best to plant lemon balm in full sun and cut it back in late fall to regrow next spring.
Chris Hill/Shutterstock

A native North American wildflower, bee balm (Monarda didyma), also known as wild bergamot, is a plant that can grow almost anywhere. “Bee balm is a great choice for poor quality soils,” says Kathy Jentz, author of Land Cover Revolution. Want to know how durable bee balm is? “They grow a bit in my ‘hell strip’—the narrow strip of land between the sidewalk and the street—where the soil is exposed to road pollutants, salt spray, and generally compacted by years of heavy foot traffic,” she says.

Zones: 3 to 9
Adult size: 10 to 48 inches high x 10 to 36 inches wide
Care Requirements: Part to full sun

Blue star

Krista Chaney/Getty Images

These flowers look like blue stars, giving them the common name for this genus Amsonia flowers. These beautiful flowers can handle all types of soil. “The genus runs the gamut from species that grow in the desert Southwest to those that grow on the southern plains,” says Kelly Norris, horticulturist and author of A new naturalism and the upcoming Your natural garden. “Deep tap roots ensure long-lasting, hardy plants once established.”

Zones: 3 to 11
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Care Requirements: Part shade to full sun; calcareous, loamy, sandy or loamy soil

Butterfly Weed

leekris/Getty Images

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a native plant of North America and produces small bright orange flowers in clusters. Norris says there is a range of different ecotypes that occur and can grow in many types of soil, including clay and sand.

Zones: from 3 to 9
Adult size: 1 to 2 feet high x 1 to 1.5 feet wide
Care Requirements: Full sun

Common yarrow

Katherine McQueen/Getty Images

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has small white flowers that grow in clusters of pinnate leaves. “Yarrow is a great native plant that grows well in poor soil in a sunny location,” says Jen McGuinness, author of Bird Friendly Gardening: Guidelines and projects for helping birds in your landscape. Norris says it’s a great option for sandy or gravelly soils and can even do well in clay soil. “Yarrow grows in a wide range of conditions around the world,” says Norris. To give you an idea of how hardy yarrow is, Norris says he’s “actually seen common yarrow blooming on a decommissioned copper mine road in Colorado, a virtual moonscape where few other plants can survive.”

Another important benefit of growing common yarrow is its ability to attract good bugs. “Flat clusters of flowers attract beneficial insects such as native ladybugs and flies [and act as] larval host plant of the Painted Lady Butterfly,” says Mary Phillips, National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Habitat Strategy/Certification Manager.

Zones: 3 to 9
Adult size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 1.5 to 2 feet wide
Care Requirements: Full sun to part shade, loamy or sandy soil

daylily

Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images

Many gardeners love the daylily because it is easy to grow, tolerates drought or high temperatures, and offers a range of shades. “Everyday Lily (Hemerocallis spp.) is one plant I like to put in poor soils because it’s so tolerant of them,” says Jentz. “It may flower a little better in ideal situations, but in less than ideal soils, it still puts show.”

Zones: 3 to 10
Adult size: 6 inches to 5 feet tall x 2 to 4 feet wide
Care Requirements: Prefers full sun but can tolerate partial shade; does well in sandy or loamy soil.

False indigo

Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images

A large perennial that is part of the Legume family, false indigo (Baptisia australis) produces multiple small flowers on the same stem. “Like many deep-rooted legumes, false indigo thrives in a wide range of soils,” says Norris. “The market is full of species and hybrids that provide a wealth of planting options for gardeners in the eastern half of the US”

Zones: 3 to 9
Adult size: 4 to 5 feet high x 3 to 4 feet wide
Care Requirements: Part to full sun

A golden rod

alexmak72427/Getty Images

With long stems bearing numerous yellow flowers, goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is a wonderful native flower to grow in the garden. “[Goldenrod] provides late-season nectar for a variety of pollinators, including migrating monarch butterflies,” says McGuinness. “These plants grow luxuriantly and can spread, so give them room to grow or be prepared to pull self-seeding volunteers in future years.”

Zones: 4 to 8
Adult size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 1.5 to 2 feet wide
Care Requirements: Full to partial sun

Needle flower

Echinacea / Purple Cone Flower.
Ruud de Man/Getty Images

Coniferous flowers (Echinacea purple) are a hardy plant native to eastern North America. They come in a variety of colors, although you’ll often find pink-purple flowers with the petals turned down. “Purple gorse tolerates clay and sandy soils,” says Phillips. She adds that they have low nutrient requirements and are drought tolerant. These flowers can tolerate poor soil, but need full sun for large, showy blooms, according to McGuinness. She says to avoid overly acidic soil, as it makes it harder for the plant to thrive. Phillips adds that over time, “the breakdown of fibrous roots adds nutrients to the soil.”

Zones: 3 to 8
Adult size: 2 to 5 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
Care Requirements: Part shade to full sun

Lavender

ASIFE/Getty Images

Fragrant perennial, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is a compact shrub that produces purple flowers that attract pollinators. “Lavender can do well in ‘weak’ soils,” Jentz says. “Most Mediterranean herbs, such as lavender, are adapted to live in soils with low nutrient availability.”

Zones: 5a to 9a
Adult size: 2 to 3 feet high x 2 to 4 feet wide
Care Requirements: Full sun

New England Aster

mladn61/Getty Images

New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a perennial that does well in poor soil and provides important nectar in the fall for many pollinators, McGuinness says. She suggests giving them enough room to grow. They can also do well in clay soil.

Zones: 4 to 8
Mature size: 3 to 6 feet high x 2 to 3 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun

Rosemary

gaffera/Getty Images

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a hardy herb that is drought tolerant and has light purple flowers when in bloom. It is native to the Mediterranean region and has adapted to harsh conditions, typically growing in rocky, infertile soil, says Linda Vater of the Southern Living Plant Collection.

Zones: 8 to 10
Adult size: 2 to 6 feet high x 2 to 4 feet wide
Care Requirements: Full sun

A slender mountain mint

Getty Images

Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) is native to North America and attracts many pollinators. This mint stands out with its silvery green leaves and fragrant pink flowers. Mountain mint has a shallow root system and, according to Phillips, “has access to limited nutrients and moisture near the surface.” She adds that mint can grow in loamy, sandy, or loamy soil that is dry, moderately moist, or moist.

Zones: 2 to 8
Adult size: 1.5 to 5 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide
Care Requirements: Full to partial sun

Sweet viburnum