Plants for Clay Soil

Unless you have the right plants, heavy clay soil can be troublesome to work with in the garden. Incredibly moisture-retentive in winter, then baked like concrete in the summer, finding appropriate plants is vital should you want your space to flourish. Luckily, there are plenty of species that fit the bill, and you'll find them in this collection...

Plants for damp ground (237)Plants for shade (180)Bog plants (116)Woodland garden plants (300)Best plants for pots & containers (359)
  • Early Dutch Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum 'Belgica' Climbing Plants
    From £20
    £30 From £20

    Early Dutch Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum 'Belgica'

    Myriad fragrant flowers

    • Showy red, white and yellow blooms
    • Attractive red autumn berries
    • Like most honeysuckles, prefers part shade
    • Flowers from May to June

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Award Winning Patio Fruit Tree Collection | Cherry, Pear & Plum | Growers' Choice Fruit Trees
    From £70
    £105 From £70

    Award Winning Patio Fruit Tree Collection | Cherry, Pear & Plum

    Our growers' best picks for pots

    • Grow your own fruit on a balcony or patio
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winners
    • Easy care, heavy cropping and flavourful
    • Harvest from July to October

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • Worcester Pearmain Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £30
    From £30

    'Worcester Pearmain' Apple Tree

    Award-winning heirloom apple

    • Sweet with subtle strawberry notes (eating)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Can be used for eating, juices and cider
    • Harvest from September onwards

    3 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Granny Smith Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £30
    £32 From £30

    'Granny Smith' Apple Tree

    Old but gold! (Well, green...)

    • Versatile with a sharp, juicy taste (dual)
    • Maintains firmness when bakes
    • Can be used for both cooking and eating
    • Harvest from late October (stores well)

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • Stepover Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £30
    £40 From £30

    Stepover Apple Tree

    Grow low, pick with ease

    • Expertly trained into a low-growing shape
    • Includes RHS award-winning varieties
    • Puree into a sauce to serve with roast pork
    • Both sweet and tart apples, dreamy flowers

    6 options available

    Trustpilot
  • 'Fiesta' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £30
    £32 From £30

    'Fiesta' Apple Tree

    A party on your palate!

    • Aromatic flavour with a sharp bite (eating)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Slice and serve with peanut butter
    • Harvest from late September (stores well)

    3 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' Ornamental Trees
    From £35
    £45 From £35

    Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'

    Impactful doesn't cover it

    • Naturally bushy, shrub-like tree
    • Medium tree - grows to 5m
    • Purple to sanguine-red, deciduous foliage
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Patio Acer Tree | Acer Palmatum 'Inaba-shidare' Ornamental Trees
    From £30
    From £30

    Patio Acer Tree | Acer palmatum 'Inaba-shidare'

    Punchy purple patio hues

    • Upright, semi-weeping patio tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 1.5m (when pruned)
    • Alluring burgundy, deciduous foliage
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    7 options available

    Trustpilot
  • 'Golden Delicious' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £32
    £34 From £32

    'Golden Delicious' Apple Tree

    Makes the best apple pies!

    • Mild flavoured with a slight sweetness (dual)
    • Easy to grow and multiple awards to its name
    • Stew your apples or bake them with spices
    • Harvest from October (stores well)

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • 'Katy' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £30
    From £30

    'Katy' Apple Tree

    A Swedish sensation!

    • Mildly sweet with strawberry notes (dual)
    • Incredibly easy to grow
    • Makes the most delicious juice
    • Harvest from late August (stores well)

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Purple Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' Ornamental Trees
    From £30
    £40 From £30

    Purple Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'

    Incredible wine-red hues

    • Gently spreading, bushy tree
    • Medium tree - grows to 7.5m
    • Rich purple leaves turn scarlet red in autumn
    • Contrasts brilliantly with green foliage

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • Late Dutch Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Late Dutch Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina'

    Serotina boosts our serotonin!

    • Magenta and yellow, tubular blooms
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Prefers dappled light or partial shade
    • Flowers from July to October

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Hydrangea arborescens 'Strong Annabelle' Shrubs
    From £35
    From £35

    Hydrangea arborescens 'Strong Annabelle'

    Scarcely believable blooms!

    • Tough, strong and bushy shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 1.5m
    • White flower balls up to 30cm across
    • Absolutely huge blooms!

    3 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' Ornamental Trees
    From £105
    £23 From £105

    Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' | Japanese Maple Tree

    The most alluring crimson hues

    • Delicately rounded, shrubby tree
    • Small tree - grows to 3m
    • Deeply-lobed red foliage (starting green)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • Red Williams' Pear Tree Fruit Trees
    From £45
    £50 From £45

    'Red Williams' Pear Tree

    Red pear at night, your delight

    • Delicate, buttery and juicy flesh
    • Good resistance to pests and diseases
    • Bite into fresh or slice and serve in salads
    • Harvest from September

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • Weeping Silver Birch Tree | Betula pendula 'Youngii' Ornamental Trees
    From £40
    £50 From £40

    Weeping Silver Birch Tree | Betula pendula 'Youngii'

    Incredible pendulous branches

    • Elegantly weeping tree
    • Medium tree - grows up to 4m
    • Mid-green leaves becoming yellow in autumn
    • Compact enough for smaller gardens

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Honeysuckle 'Henryi' | Lonicera Japonica | On a 90cm Cane in a 3L Pot Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Henry's Honeysuckle | Lonicera henryi

    Vigorous and utterly beautiful

    • Red and yellow, horn-shaped flowers
    • Heavenly scent grows stronger in full sun
    • Part shade preferred (full sun tolerable)
    • Flowers in July and August

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Hydrangea paniculata 'Candlelight' Shrubs
    From £220
    From £220

    Hydrangea paniculata 'Candlelight'

    Stunning pink pyramidal blooms

    • Upright and vigorous shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 1.5m
    • Punchy flower cones turn from cream to pink
    • A particularly vigorous variety

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • 'Elstar' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £30
    From £30

    'Elstar' Apple Tree

    A popular, award-winning variety

    • Intense and sweet with notes of honey (dual)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Eat fresh or bake into a crumble
    • Harvest from October to November

    3 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Classic British Orchard Collection | Apple, Cherry, Pear & Plum Trees Fruit Trees
    From £80
    £115 From £80

    Classic British Orchard Collection | Apple, Cherry, Pear & Plum Trees

    All the traditional UK faves!

    • Iconic orchard varieties
    • Features RHS award winners
    • Well-suited to UK growing
    • Produce a glut of delicious fruit

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Cordon Apple Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £25
    £35 From £25

    Cordon Apple Tree

    Lots of fruit in a limited space

    • Expertly grown in a columnar shape
    • Includes brilliant dual-purpose varieties
    • Use in chutneys, sauces and salads
    • Crisp, refreshing apples, lovely blossoms

    7 options available

    Trustpilot
  • 'Kumoi' Asian Pear Tree | Nashi Pear Soft Fruit
    From £32
    £36 From £32

    'Kumoi' Asian Pear Tree | Nashi Pear

    Stunning round, golden pears

    • Strawberry notes and a crisp bite
    • Attractive russet appearance
    • Slice and eat fresh or use in salads
    • Harvest from September (stores very well)

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • Nashi Japanese Pear Tree Fruit Trees
    From £32
    From £32

    '20th Century' Japanese Pear Tree | Nashi Pear

    Tastes as good as it looks

    • Crisp and aromatic
    • A good, heavy cropper
    • Wonderful eaten fresh or used in chutneys
    • Harvest from late August

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' Shrubs
    From £15
    From £15

    Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

    Snowy, oh-so showy blooms

    • Profusely-packed, bushy shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 2.5m
    • Linen white, large, spherical blooms
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • 'Blenheim Orange' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £30
    £48 From £30

    'Blenheim Orange' Apple Tree

    The RHS love it - so do we!

    • Nutty, tangy flavour which sweetens (dual)
    • Award-winning heritage variety
    • Use to make a creamy puree or eat fresh
    • Harvest from October (keeps for two months)

    3 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum dissectum 'Tamukeyama' Ornamental Trees
    From £60
    From £60

    Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum dissectum 'Tamukeyama'

    Unbeatable burgundy foliage

    • Gently spreading tree
    • Small tree - grows to approximately 1.5m
    • Lacy, deciduous leaves
    • A spectrum of purples and reds

    1 option available

    Trustpilot
  • Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' Shrubs
    From £20
    From £20

    Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'

    Award-winning scene stealer

    • Upright and airy shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 2m
    • Rounded cones of green, white and pink blooms
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    2 options available

    Trustpilot

Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery

Meet Mike

Tree-growing skills honed right across the globe

Having started out in Australia, studied in Northern Ireland and volunteered at an organic farm in Sweden, it’s fair to say Mike’s done his fair share of travel on his horticultural journey, so far! Having happily laid down roots here at Roots, Mike is the don behind our tree-growing operation, imparting each and every one of his globally-honed skills to benefit your garden. Grown in our purpose-built nursery, in the ideal climatic conditions of the fertile Vale of Evesham, we’re proud to supply only the happiest, healthiest and hardiest trees.

Happy plants make happy customers

Trustpilot
Ornamental Colour Collection Pond Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Plants arrived in great condition and very promptly. Well established - much better than the ones I got at my local garden centre.

Monica Spence

| 24 May
Star Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides Climbing Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Yet again this company delivered good healthy plants, exactly as shown in photos, well packaged and within delivery time quoted. Recommend!

Jacqueline Burgess

| 2 Jun
five star rating on Trustpilot

I continue to be so impressed with Roots. Their customer care, knowledge of their subject: from planting hedges to pruning roses and more, has been a great support.

Judy Lane

| 23 Oct
E 'Black Hamburgh' Indoor Grape Vine Soft Fruit
five star rating on Trustpilot

The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.

Martyn Hill

| 5 Jul
E 'Braeburn Hillwell' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
five star rating on Trustpilot

As a non-gardener, I found my whole experience brilliant. Great information & advice available on the website, great range of products & prices are brilliant.

John-Paul

| 22 May
five star rating on Trustpilot

Wonderful plants and great customer service... really surprised to find that the plants are better than those you would get at your local garden centre.

Gavin Wilcock

| 8 Nov

Fighting plastic waste

Delivering fresh from the nursery

Supporting UK growers