Soil PH Preferences for Garden Shrubs
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 coloured 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 |
| Azalea | American Laurel (Kalmia) | American laurel (Kalmia) | Barberry (Berberis) | Adam's needle (Yucca) |
| Bilberry (Vaccinium) | Azalea | Boronia | Blackcurrant (Ribes) | Barberry (Berberis) |
| Camelia | Boronia | Californian lilac (Ceanothus) | Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus) | Blackcurrant (Ribes) |
| Chillean pernettya (Pernettya) | Californian lilac (Ceanothus) | Cinquefoil (Potentilla) | Box (Buxus) | Boston ivy |
| Flame of the forest (Pieris) | Camelia | Clematis | Bridal wreath (Spirea arguta) | Bridal wreath (Spirea arguta) |
| Heather (Erica) | Cinquefoil (Potentilla) | Currant, flowering (Ribes) | Butterfly bush (Buddleia) | Butterfly bush (Buddleia) |
| Hydrangea (Blue) | Dogwood (Cornus) | Daphne | Clematis | Clematis |
| Ledum | Heather (Erica) | Dogwood (Cornus) | Cotoneaster | Cotoneaster |
| London season (Zenobia) | Leucothoe | Flowering currant (Ribes) | Currant, flowering (Ribes) | Currant, flowering (Ribes) |
| Phyllodoce | Photina | Fuchsia | Daphne | Daphne |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron | Forsythia | Deutzia | Deutzia |
| Rosemary (Rosmarinus) | Grapevine (Vitis) | Diervilla (Wygelia) | Diervilla (Wygelia) |
| Snowbells (Stryax) | Heather (some) Erica (some) | Escallonia | Escallonia |
| Sweet fern (Comptonia) | Hydrangea (Pink) | Euonymus | Euonymus |
| Leptospermum (Tea tree) | Jasmine | Firethorn (Pyracantha) | Firethorn (Pyracantha) |
| Wintergreen (Gaultheria) | Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) | Flowering Currant (Ribes) | Flowering currant (Ribes) |
| | Lavender (Lavendula) | Forsythia | Forsythia |
| | Leucothoe | Fuchsia | Golden bells (Forsythia) |
| | Mezeron (Daphne) | Genista | Grape vine (Vitis) |
| | Passion flower (Passiflora) | Golden bells (Forsythia) | Guelder rose (Viburnum) |
| | Photina | Grape vine (Vitis) | Honeysuckle (Lonicera) |
| | Privet (Ligustrum) | Guelder rose (Viburnum) | Hydrangea (white) |
| | Quince (Chaenomeles) | Hibiscus | Ivy (Hedera) |
| | Rock Rose (Cistus) | Honeysuckle (Lonicera) | Japonica (Caesalpina) |
| | Rose (Rosa) | Hydrangea (pink) | Jasmine (Jasminum) |
| | Rosemary (Rosmarinus) | Hydrangea (white) | Jews mallow (Kerria) |
| | Senecio | Ivy (Hedera) | Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) |
| | Snowbells (Stryax) | Japonica (Caesalpina) | Maple (Acer) |
| | Spanish gorse (Genista) | Jasmine (Jasminum) | Mezeron (Daphne) |
| | Sweet fern (Comptonia) | Jews mallow (Kerria) | Mock orange (Philadelphus) |
| | Tea tree (Leptospermum) | Lavender | Myrtle (Myrtus) |
| | Veronica (Hebe) | Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) | Peach (Prunus persica) |
| | Vine (Vitis) | Maple (Acer) | Rock rose (Cistus) |
| | Wintergreen (Gaultheria) | Mezeron (Daphne) | Rose mallow (Hibiscus) |
| | Witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) | Mock orange (Philadelphus) | Senecio |
| | Yew | Myrtle (Myrtus) | Spanish gorse (Genista) |
| | | Passion flower (Passiflora) | Spirea |
| | | Peach (Prunus persica) | St John's wort (Hypericum) |
| | | Privet (Ligustrum) | Veronica (Hebe) |
| | | Quince (Chaenomeles) | Vine (Vitis) |
| | | Rock rose (Cistus) | Wisteria |
| | | Rose (Rosa) | Witch hazel (Hamamellis mollis) |
| | | Rose of Sharon (Hypericum) | Yucca |
| | | Rose mallow (Hibiscus) | |
| | | Senecio | |
| | | Spanish gorse (Genista) | |
| | | Spirea | |
| | | St John's wort (Hypericum) | |
| | | Veronica (Hebe) | |
| | | Vine (Vitis) | |
| | | Wisteria | |
| | | Witch hazel (Hamamellis mollis) | |
| | | Yew (Taxus) | |
| | | Yucca | |
| | | | |
|
See also...
Identifying Your Soil Type
How pH Affects Plant Foods
Finding Soil's pH
Raising Soil pH
Lowering Soil pH
pH Plant Preference Lists
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