|
|
Plant pH Preferences
|
|
Star-Tip 1013 |
Gardening Tips for successful and beautiful Landscapes and Gardens |
Understanding the effects of soil pH on plants is an integral part of keeping them healthy. Alkalinity and pH go hand-in-hand and the soil and water in the desert southwest is very alkaline with a pH of between 8.0 and 8.5. As you look at what most of the plants listed in the reference prefer, you will see how it can be difficult to keep them healthy. At higher pH levels plants have difficulty taking up the nutrients that are in the soil. This high pH affects some more than others. Selecting plants that can tolerate higher levels of pH is one method, and doing things to maintain a lower pH level is another.
Check out Gardening Tip # 1016 Decreasing Soil Alkalinity and pH for ideas on keeping the pH of your soil at more tolerable levels.
Plant pH Preferences
|
pH 4.5 – 5.5 |
pH 5.5 - 6.0 (cont) |
|
Azalea |
Prayer plant (Maranta) |
|
Camelia |
Primrose (Primula) |
|
Columnea |
Rubber plant (Ficus) |
|
Hydrangea (Blue) |
Silk oak (Grevillia) |
|
Lily of the Valley (Pieris) |
Swiss cheese plant (Monsteria) |
|
Liquidamber tree |
Tradescantia |
|
Orchid (most) |
Urn plant (Aechemea) |
|
Pachysandra terminalis |
|
|
Parlour palm (Aspidistra) |
|
|
Pin Oak Tree (Quercus palustris) |
pH 5.5 – 6.5 |
|
Rhododendron |
Alyssum |
|
|
Coreopsis |
|
pH 5.5 - 6.0 |
Dracaena |
|
Amaryllis |
Juniper (Juniperus) |
|
Anthurium |
Photinia |
|
Bilbergia |
Pine Tree (Pinus) most |
|
Birch (Betula) – tree |
|
|
Christmas cactus (Zygocactus) |
pH 5.5 – 7.0 |
|
Cinquefoil (Potentilla) |
Begonia |
|
Conifer Trees (most) |
Chrysanthemum |
|
Crassula |
Cineraria |
|
Creeping fig (Ficus pumilla) |
Coleus |
|
Croton |
Fuchsia |
|
Dogwood (Cornus) |
Lupin |
|
Dumb cane (Diffenbachia) |
Marigold (Tagetes) |
|
Fir Tree (Abies) |
Mother in law tongue (Sanseveria) |
|
Gardenia |
Pansy (Viola) |
|
pH 5.5 - 6.0 (cont.) |
pH 5.5 – 7.0 (cont.) |
|
Hemlock Tree (Tsuga) |
Poinsettia (Euphorbia) |
|
Holly (Ilex) - tree |
Sanseveria |
|
Iris kaempferi |
Violet (Viola) |
|
Magnolia - tree |
Yew (Podocarpus) |
|
Norfolk Island pine (Auricaria) |
|
|
Oak Ivy (Cissus) |
pH 5.5 – 7.5 |
|
Philodendron |
Canna |
|
Phlox |
Cosmos (Cosmea) |
|
Pitcher plant (Nepenthes) |
Rosemary (Rosmarinus) |
|
Poor Mans Orchid (Schizanthus) |
Crabapple Tree (Malus) |
|
pH 6.0 - 6.5 |
pH 6.0 – 7.0 (cont.) |
|
Crassula |
Narcissus |
|
Kaffir Lily (Clivia) |
Passion flower (Passiflora) |
|
Michelmas daisy (Aster) |
Pear Tree (Pyrus) |
|
Plumbago |
Pincushon Flower (Scabiosa) |
|
Poor man’s orchid (Schizanthus) |
Plum Tree (Prunus) |
|
Primula |
Primrose (Primula) |
|
Purslane (Portulaca) |
Privet (Ligustrum) |
|
Silk Oak (Grevillia) |
Quince (Chaenomeles) |
|
Wax Plant (Hoya) |
Red hot poker (Kniphophia) |
|
Waterlily (Nymphea) |
Rose (Rosa) |
|
|
Salvia |
|
|
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum) |
|
pH 6.0 – 7.0 |
Stock (Mathiola) |
|
African Sumac tree (Rhus) |
Strawberry tree (Arbutus) |
|
African violet (St Paulia) |
Sunflower (Helianthus) |
|
Almond Tree (Prunus) |
Tobacco (Nicotiana) |
|
Apple Tree (Malus) |
Tulip |
|
Ash Tree (Fraxinus) |
Viola |
|
Baby’s breath (Gypsophia) |
Wallflower (Erysimum) |
|
Bird of paradise (Strelitzia) |
Zinnia |
|
Bougainvillea |
|
|
Burning bush (Kochia) |
|
|
Calendula |
pH 6.0 – 7.5 |
|
Candytuft (Iberis) |
Ageratum |
|
Carnation (Dianthus) |
Anemone |
|
Coleus |
Avens (Geum) |
|
Columbine (Aquilegia) |
Clematis |
|
Coral bells (Heuchera) |
Currant, flowering (Ribes) |
|
Cyclamen |
Eucalyptus - tree |
|
Daffodil (Narcissus) |
Forsythia |
|
Dahlia |
Grape vine (Vitis) |
|
Delphinium |
Grape Vine (Vitis) |
|
Easter lily (Zantedeschia) |
Impatiens |
|
Fuchsia |
Iris (Dietes) |
|
pH 6.0 – 7.0 (cont.) |
pH 6.0 – 7.5 (cont.) |
|
Gladiolus |
Jasmine (Jasminum) |
|
Hollyhock (Althea) |
Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) |
|
Hydrangea (Pink) |
Lilac (Syringa) |
|
Impatiens |
Lillies (Lilium) |
|
Lavender (Lavendula) |
Lobelia |
|
pH 6.0 – 7.5 (cont) |
pH 6.5 - 7.5 (cont) |
|
Mock orange (Pittosporum) |
Forsythia |
|
Mulberry Tree (Morus) |
Foxglove (Digitalis) |
|
Petunia |
Freesia |
|
Poplar Tree (poplus) |
Geranium (Pelargonium) |
|
Rock rose (Cistus) |
Gerbra |
|
Salvia (most) |
Godetia |
|
Verbena |
Golden Rain Tree (Laburnum) |
|
Willow Tree (Salix) |
Gopher Plant (Euphorbia) |
|
Witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) |
Heliotrope |
|
|
Hibiscus |
|
|
Honeysuckle (Lonicera) |
|
pH 6.5 - 7.5 |
Hyacinth |
|
Acacia - tree |
Hydrangea (white) |
|
Arbor vitae (Thuja) |
Iceland poppy (Papaver) |
|
Asparagus fern |
Ivy (Hedera) |
|
Aster |
Lily (Lilium) most |
|
Bachelor’s buttons (Ranunculus) |
Maple Tree (Acer) |
|
Barberry (Berberis) |
Morning glory (Ipomea) |
|
Bearded Iris |
Myrtle (Myrtus) |
|
Bird of Paradise (Caesalpina) |
Oleander (Nerium) |
|
Bleeding heart (Dicentra) |
Orange (Citrus) |
|
Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus) |
Oxalis |
|
Boxwood (Buxus) |
Peach (Pumus persica) |
|
Butterfly bush (Buddleia) |
Peony |
|
Cactus (Opuntia) |
Pepper (Capsicum) |
|
Cherry Tree (Prunus) |
Phlox "annual" |
|
Cockscombe (Celosia) |
Pink (Dianthus) |
|
Coconut palm (Cocos) |
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus) |
|
Cotoneaster |
Rose of Sharon (Hypericum) |
|
Crocus |
Snowdrop (Galanthus) |
|
Daisy (Bellus) |
Spirea |
|
Day lily (Hemerocalis) |
Sweet pea (Lathyrus) |
|
Escallonia |
Viburnum |
|
Euonymus |
White Poplar Tree (Poplus alba) |
|
Euphorbia |
Wisteria |
|
Firethorn (Pyracantha) |
Yucca (most) |
|
Flax (Linum) |
Foxglove (Digitalis) |
|
Forget me not (Myosotis) |
Freesia |