Moisture and PH Requirements for Flowering Plants

There are a lot of different types of plants that are available. Plants that were never used in an area have been either hybridized and have been made available, or have been changed from perennials to annuals in cold areas.

Water requirements for specific flowers and soil PH are important when choosing flowers for your area.

Plants for Moist Areas:

One of the most interesting flowers is the hydrangea. It likes a moist area, but that is not interesting. The soil PH actually makes it different colors. If you have had only white hydrangea in your garden and keep trying for a blue one, check the PH of your soil. It needs acidic soil to make the blue color come out. (I always thought of it as the litmus paper of the plant world.)

There are some plants with similar names that have totally opposite water requirements. Bearded Irises and Siberian Irises don't like wet feet. They are the ones that most people have in the garden. The Bearded Iris is what I always associate with Memorial Day since they blossom about that time.

The Japanese Iris and Yellow flag like mucky moist to wet areas and can be found many times along stream banks. These are great to plant around a backyard pond.

Hostas like moist and shady, as do Foxglove, Columbine, Sweet Woodruff (It smells delightfully like vanilla when it's dried.), and even the Wallflower needs a lot of moisture, and love too!

Primula, one of my personal favorites, loves a damp soil and some shade. There are so many varieties from Cowslip to hybrids that you need to read the catalogue for moisture requirement, although most like moist areas and die if not kept well watered in a dry hot summer. I love the hybrid Primula because they are the first flowers of spring in my garden. They beat all the bulbs and have gorgeous leaves and flashy bright colored flowers. They blow the winter blahs away and give a fresh breath and second wind to the Winter weary Northerners.

The Astrantia is gorgeous, perfect for cutting and loves moist areas.

Plants for Dry areas:

Purple Coneflowers are the easiest to care for. While they do well in almost any area they can tolerate the drought. You probably know the name Echinacea which is an herb used to increase the immune system. It is made from the ground roots of the purple coneflower (Also known as Echinacea.) They actually look like a giant purple daisy.

Cacti of course love it dry. Try a Prickly Pear Cactus in the North. The flower is a beautiful waxy yellow. It grows in moderate moisture also. American Bellflower and Evening Primrose (Not the "Primula" Primrose, but pink cupped flowers also called Ozark Primrose.) like the sun and dry ground. Sulfur Cosmos, Gailardia, Black-eyed Susans, and Globe Amaranth are drought tolerant. This just means they can grow in dry soils as well as regular soil. Delosperma floribunda is a great flowering ground cover for dry areas.

Plants for Acid Soil:

If you have a lot of pine around or a lot of Oak trees, you may have acid soil. Monkey flowers, Hydrangeas (You'll get blue!), Ajuga, Aquilegia (The scientific name for Columbines), Azalea, Digitalis (Foxglove), Echinacea, Physostegia (The Obedient Plant, these are really neat. You can push the flower heads and they stay where you put them. They are stalks similar to the Snap Dragon.), the Balloon Flower, and Primula.

Even though it is not a flower, the Blueberry loves boggy acid areas. I say this because it was always frustrating to me, never to get a good patch no matter how hard I tried. If you have good conditions, try a plant or two.

Plants for Alkaline Soil:

Yarrow (I was disappointed in the flower but not the foliage. It looks a bit like yellow Queen Anne's Lace), Siberian Bugloss, Campanala lactiflora (the Bell Flower), Alpine pinks (related to the Carnation), Pincushion flower and Soapwort. Soapwort is an interesting plant. The liquid that is extracted after you boil the leaves, stem and root in rainwater or distilled water for 30 minutes is used to wash delicate fabrics, like those in museums.

To make your soil more acidic just add oak leaves, pine needles, or coffee grounds. For a more alkaline soil add lime.

Parents, please be aware that several of the plants are highly toxic and if you have small children or grandchildren they should not be grown or should be out of reach of small hands. No matter how beautiful Foxglove is, it's still Digitalis, used for the heart when processed, toxic when eaten.

If you are interested in an article on edible plants and toxic plants, let me know in the comment area.