If only every garden was blessed with free-draining, loamy soil with the perfect pH and balance of nutrients. Life would be so easy and the choice of plants gloriously abundant. Sadly, most of us can only dream of or endlessly toil for this reality. I think in over 30 years of gardening, only a handful of properties have gifted my designs with near-perfect conditions. Every site seems to have at least one or more areas with poor soil. But thanks to tough and adaptable plants, not all is lost. There are numerous plants able to handle these conditions, the best ones being natives.

Butterfly milkweed (Butterflyweed)

Asclepias tuberosa, Zones 3–9

Like a glowing sunset, butterflyweed attracts hummingbirds and butterflies with its bright orange fragrant flowers in the later months of summer. Distinctive seedpods appear after the blooms are spent. Slow to start, and coming up late in the spring, butterflyweed will reach a height of 24 to 36 inches and a spread of 18 to 24 inches. A Zone 3–9 plant with a taproot, it does not appreciate being moved or divided. Start with seeds or small plants from a nursery. Growing naturally in mesic and dry prairies, butterflyweed is at home in poor soils, the edges of acreages, and roadsides. It is attractive to wildlife and pollinators (favored by monarch larvae), but it is not bothered by deer or rabbits. Once established, Asclepias forms a sturdy, long-lived clump. Planted in masses, it creates a stunning display of both texture and color.

Cultivars to consider: Asclepias tuberosa ‘Hello Yellow’ is shorter with golden flowers growing 18 to 24 inches high and wide. Asclepias tuberosa ‘Gay Butterflies’ is the standard height with vibrant orange flowers, yellow centers, and rich red overtones.

Missouri primrose

Oenothera macrocarpa, Zones 3–8

Fragrant, low, and blooming late in the day to early the following morning, Missouri primrose is a peculiar little plant. Fleshy leaves and deep taproots that form a massive tuber contribute to its extreme drought resistance and tolerance of poor soils. With a prolonged period of bloom, the large flowers in shades of yellow, pink, and white are prominently displayed. A perennial best shown in mass plantings, it attracts butterflies and moths. Resistant to deer and rabbits, it is native to the United States.

Several cultivars are worth trying if you want to add something special to your garden. Fremont’s primrose (O. macrocarpa. subsp. fremontii), the 2016 GreatPlants for the Great Plains perennial of the year, grows 10 inches tall and 18 inches wide and has leaves narrower than the species with large lemon-yellow flowers. Silver Blade^® evening primrose (O. macrocarpa subsp. incana) is 6 to 10 inches tall and 15 to 18 inches wide with silvery blue leaves and enormous light-yellow blooms from May until frost. O. macrocarpa ‘Comanche Campfire’, a 2001 GreatPlants introduction, grows 2 to 15 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide with ruby red stems, shiny silver leaves, and large yellow flowers until frost.

Common ironweed

Vernonia fasciculata, Zones 3–7

A fibrous root system and upright stems tough as iron make common ironweed a choice plant for landscapes with difficult soils. Vibrant compound purple flowers attract a variety of pollinators in late summer. The fluffy seed heads provide interest for the late season and a food source for wildlife. While self-seeding can become a problem, this can be controlled by snipping flower heads before they set seed. If planting ironweed in mesic or wet prairies or any space where you wish to see it multiply, just leave it unpruned and it will happily grow into a larger colony of plants 36 to 48 inches tall. Each individual plant can be expected to grow 24 to 36 inches wide.

For smaller spaces, ‘Iron Butterfly’ narrowleaf ironweed (Vernonia lettermannii ‘Iron Butterfly’) is a dwarf cultivar with fine foliage blooming in September and October. Growing only 24 to 36 inches tall and wide, it is a xeric plant well suited to rock gardens. Both ironweeds are resistant to grazing by deer and rabbits. In spring cut back the plants, pinching back the stems as they grow to thicken the structure and avoid staking.

Plants such as these demonstrate that poor soil in the garden shouldn’t prevent you from creating displays filled with color, height, and interest. These are just a few options. Explore the many plants native to the Midwest to discover more.

More on Midwest native plants:

• 3 Hardy Native Sedges You Should Grow
• Heat-Tolerant Native Perennials for the Midwest
• Tough, Hardy Native Perennials for the Midwest

And for more Midwest regional reports, click here.

—Marti Neely, FAPLD, owns and operates Marti Neely Design and Associates in Omaha, Nebraska.

Photos: Midwest Groundcovers

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Bee Watering Station with Vivid Flower Design

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Thoughtful Combo: You will receive a bee feeder and 30 glass marbles. This thoughtful combo can provide clean water for the bees, you just need to put the marbles into the bee watering station, add water (note: the water level should not exceed the height of the marbles) and hang them in the right place. The round, colored marbles can provide a place for the bees to stand and prevent them from falling into the water, effectively keeping the bees safe. Fine Material: This exquisite bee bath is made of high quality iron material, smooth surface, rust and weather resistant, not easy to fade, sturdy and reliable. Bee cups for garden can well meet the drinking water needs of lovely bees, and it can also provide food for bees, such as sugar water, nectar, etc., attracting more bees to your outdoor area and making your garden full of vitality. Perfect Size: The butterfly watering station has an overall height of 13.4 inches, a bowl diameter of 9.4 inches, and a weight of 0.44 pounds. The bee cup serves the needs of the bees well without plunging them into dangerously deep water or taking up unnecessary space in your garden, and this compact and efficient design makes it a practical addition to any outdoor space. Elegant Design: Our bee watering cups are designed in unique flower shapes with vibrant and realistic colours to attract lovely bees to your garden and patio, bee feeders for outside are not only functional but can also be used as a landscaping element, their vibrant floral patterns enhance the beauty of your garden. Multicolored Decoration: Colorful bee water stations look like flowers in a garden, flower bed or pot and attract bees and butterflies. They can drink or bathe in bee feeders, which are highly decorative and practical.

Buy at Amazon

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

Buy at Amazon

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.

Buy at Amazon