How to use the information in the chart. To make the best of the lists, group plants with similar soil requirements. Also, avoid planting trees, shrubs, vegetables, flowers and herbs in an unsuitable pH. For example, lilac bushes won’t do much if their feet are sitting in acid soil, while potatoes will be dotted with scab if the soil is too sweet. (Note: Don’t use them as your only guide because other factors may lead to poor performance.)
Plants are listed here in columns according to the pH level they prefer. Note that some are very sensitive to pH levels outside their tolerant range, in which case they will appear in more than one column even though they are colored yellow as being “sensitive”.
| This green background means that this is an ideal pH for this plant. |
| This background is the ideal pH for this sensitive plant |
| This background means that this plant is very sensitive to the pH level of the soil. |
| pH 4.5 |
pH 5.25 |
pH 6.0 |
pH 6.75 |
pH 7.5 |
| Anemone |
Begonia |
Ageratum |
Ageratum |
Ageratum |
| Autumn Gentians |
Calliopsis (Coreopsis) |
Alyssum |
Alyssum |
Annual Phlox |
| Gentian |
Chrysanthemum |
Avens (Geum) |
Annual phlox |
Cherry pie (Heliotrope) |
| Iris kaempferi |
Clarkia |
Baby’s breath (Gypsophila) |
Aster |
Cosmos (Cosmea) |
| Mecanopsis |
Clary (Salvia) |
Begonia |
Avens (Geum) |
Crocus |
| Pachysandra terminalis |
Cosmos (Cosmea) |
Burning bush (Kochia) |
Baby’s breath (Gypsophila) |
Day lily (Hemerocalis) |
|
Grasses (Agrostis sp) |
Busy lizzie (Impatiens) |
Bachelor’s buttons (Ranunculus) |
Flax (Linum) |
|
Lupin |
Calendula |
Bearded iris |
Forget me not (Myosotis) |
|
Marigold (Tagetes) |
Calliopsis (Coreopsis) |
Begonia |
Geranium (Pelargonium) |
|
Nasturtium (Tropaeolium) |
Campanula |
Bleeding heart (Dicentra) |
Hyacinth |
|
Pachysandra terminalis |
Candytuft (Iberis) |
Bluebell (Scilla) |
Iceland poppy (Papaver) |
|
Pansy (Viola) |
Carnation |
Burning bush (Kochia) |
Love lies bleeding (Amaranthus) |
|
Phlox |
Chrysanth |
Busy lizzie (Imaptiens) |
Mignonette (Reseda) |
|
Pick a back (Ptolmeia) |
Clarkia |
Calendula |
Nasturtium (Tropeaolium) |
|
Primrose (Primula)Violet (Viola) |
Clary (Salvia) |
Candytuft (Iberis) |
Oxalis |
|
Violet (Viola) |
Columbine (Aquilegia) |
Carnation (Dianthus) |
Peony |
|
|
Coral bells (Heuchera) |
Cherry pie (Heliotrope) |
Petunia |
|
|
Cosmos (Cosmea) |
Chrysanth |
Pinks (Dianthus) |
|
|
Daffodil |
Clarkia |
Poppy (Papaver) |
|
|
Dahlia |
Columbine (Aquilegia) |
Scilla |
|
|
Delphinium |
Coral bells (Heuchera) |
Snowdrop (Galanthus) |
|
|
Fuchsia |
Cosmos (Cosmea) |
Sweet pea (Lathyrus) |
|
|
Gladiolus |
Crocus |
Sweet William (Dianthus) |
|
|
Grasses (Agrostis sp) |
Daffodil |
Vebena |
|
|
Hollyhock (Althea) |
Dahlia |
|
|
|
Impatiens |
Daisy (Bellis) |
|
|
|
Iris |
Delphinium |
|
|
|
Lilies (Lilium) |
Euphorbia |
|
|
|
Lobelia |
Feverfew (Chrysanth.) |
|
|
|
Lupin |
Flax (Linum) |
|
|
|
Marigold (Tagetes) |
Forget me not (Myosotis) |
|
|
|
Michelmas daisy (Aster) |
Foxglove (Digitalis) |
|
|
|
Mignonette (Reseda) |
Geranium |
|
|
|
Narcissus |
Gladiolus |
|
|
|
Nasturtium (Tropaeolium) |
Godetia |
|
|
|
Pansy (Viola) |
Grasses |
|
|
|
Petunia |
Hollyhock (Althea) |
|
|
|
Phlox |
Hyacinth |
|
|
|
Pick a back (Ptolmeia) |
Iceland poppy |
|
|
|
Primrose (Primula) |
Impatiens |
|
|
|
Primula |
Iris |
|
|
|
Purslane (Portulaca) |
Polemonium (Jacobs Ladder) |
|
|
|
Red hot poker (Kniphophia) |
Larkspur (Delphinium) |
|
|
|
Rose (Rosa) |
Lily (Lilium) |
|
|
|
Salvia |
Hemorocalis (Day Lily) |
|
|
|
Scabious |
Lobelia |
|
|
|
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum) |
Love lies bleeding |
|
|
|
Stock |
Lupin |
|
|
|
Sunflower (Helianthus) |
Marigold (Tagetes) |
|
|
|
Tobacco (Nicotiana) |
Mignonette (Reseda) |
|
|
|
Tulip |
Narcissus |
|
|
|
Verbena |
Nasturtium |
|
|
|
Viola |
Oxalis |
|
|
|
Violet (Viola) |
Pansy (Viola) |
|
|
|
Wallflower |
Peony |
|
|
|
Waterlily (Nymphea) |
Petunia |
|
|
|
Zinnia |
Pink (Dianthus) |
|
|
|
|
Poppy (Papaver) |
|
|
|
|
Portulaca |
|
|
|
|
Primrose (Primula) |
|
|
|
|
Pyrethrum |
|
|
|
|
Red hot poker (Kniphophia) |
|
|
|
|
Salvia |
|
|
|
|
Scabious |
|
|
|
|
Scilla |
|
|
|
|
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum) |
|
|
|
|
Spurge (Euphorbia) |
|
|
|
|
Snowdrop (Galanthus) |
|
|
|
|
Stock (Mathiola) |
|
|
|
|
Sunflower (Helianthus) |
|
|
|
|
Sweet pea (Lathyrus) |
|
|
|
|
Sweet william (Dianthus) |
|
|
|
|
Tobacco (Nicotiana) |
|
|
|
|
Tulip |
|
|
|
|
Verbena |
|
|
|
|
Viola |
|
|
|
|
Violet (Viola) |
|
|
|
|
Wallflower |
|
|
|
|
Zinnia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pH Plant Preference Charts
More on Plant pH…
Identifying Your Soil Type
How pH Affects Plant Foods
Raising Soil pH
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