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)
  • 'Red World' Japanese Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    'Red World' Japanese Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica

    Powerful pockets of red and pink

    • Tubular pink blooms with a creamy interior
    • Unbeatable levels of fragrance
    • Plant in part (or dappled) shade
    • Perfumed flowers from May to August

    2 options available

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  • Stepover Pear Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £40
    From £40

    Stepover Pear Tree

    Pear back on size, not quality

    • Expertly trained into a low-growing shape
    • Includes one of the best old varieties
    • Poach in red wine, cinnamon and cloves
    • Moreish pears, charming blossoms

    3 options available

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  • Variegated Norway Maple Tree | Acer platanoides 'Drummondii' Ornamental Trees
    From £150
    From £150

    Acer platanoides 'Drummondii' | Variegated Maple Tree

    Glorious cream-margined leaves

    • Bushy, oval (sometimes rounded) tree
    • Large tree - up to 12m (can be kept shorter)
    • Stunning cream and green variegated leaves
    • Exceptional autumn hues of orange and bronze

    1 option available

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  • Common Dogwood | Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' Shrubs
    From £15
    £25 From £15

    Common Dogwood | Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'

    A blazing riot of winter colour

    • Burnt sienna stems, white summer flowers
    • Incredible winter stem colour
    • Average growth rate - 20-40cm per year
    • Grows up to 3m or keep trimmed at 1-3m

    1 option available

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  • 'Bloody Ploughman' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £32
    From £32

    'Bloody Ploughman' Apple Tree

    An incredible origin story!

    • Juicy and mild (dual)
    • Stained, pinkish-red flesh
    • Cooks down wonderfully into a sauce
    • Harvest from September

    2 options available

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  • Mini Apple Tree | Malus 'Appletini' Trained Fruit Trees
    From £35
    From £35

    Mini Apple Tree | Malus 'Appletini'

    Bitesized apples from your patio

    • Picturesque, upright patio tree
    • Small tree - grows up to 1.5m (when pruned)
    • Dainty pink blossoms
    • Self-fertile (doesn't need a partner)

    2 options available

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  • 'Dart's World' Japanese Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica Climbing Plants
    From £25
    £30 From £25

    'Dart's World' Japanese Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica

    This climber hits the bullseye

    • Rhubarb and custard-coloured tubular blooms
    • Heavily scented blooms
    • Dappled or partial shade is ideal
    • Free-flowering from April to August

    1 option available

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  • Hydrangea arborescens 'Pink Annabelle' Shrubs
    From £30
    From £30

    Hydrangea arborescens 'Pink Annabelle'

    Billowing pink blooms

    • Dense, bushy and vigorous shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 1.5m
    • Pastel pink, pompom-like blooms
    • Makes a fantastic flowering hedge

    2 options available

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  • Japanese Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica 'Mint Crisp' Climbing Plants
    From £25
    £30 From £25

    Japanese Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica 'Mint Crisp'

    Majestic marbled foliage

    • Gold and white, bugle-shaped blooms
    • Trails and twists around an arbour
    • Grows best in dappled or partial shade
    • Flowers from July to October

    2 options available

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  • European Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum 'G.S. Thomas' Climbing Plants
    From £25
    £36 From £25

    European Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum 'Graham Thomas'

    The sweetest summer scent

    • Flaxen yellow, tubular flowers
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Dappled or part shade is preferred
    • Blooms from July to September

    2 options available

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  • Cordon Pear Tree Trained Fruit Trees
    From £35
    From £35

    Cordon Pear Tree

    A space-saving way to grow pears

    • Expertly grown in a columnar shape
    • Includes RHS award-winning varieties
    • Bake in crumbles, pies and tarts
    • Succulent pears, delightful blossoms

    4 options available

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  • Tellmann's Honeysuckle' | Lonicera tellmanniana Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Tellmann's Honeysuckle | Lonicera tellmanniana

    Extremely cheery summer blooms

    • Golden-orange, trumpet-shaped flowers
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Likes part shade (can be grown in full sun)
    • Flowers from June to September

    2 options available

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  • Himalayan Birch Tree | Betula utilis jacquemontii 'Doorenbos'
    From £35
    From £35

    Snow Queen Himalayan Birch Tree | Betula utilis jacquemontii 'Doorenbos'

    The brightest bark of all

    • Elegant oval tree
    • Large tree - grows to 12m
    • Lush green foliage turning yellow in autumn
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Mini Orchard Collection | Apple, Pear & Plum Fruit Trees
    From £80
    £95 From £80

    Mini Orchard Collection | Apple, Pear & Plum

    Grow your own thriving orchard!

    • Juicy, sweet and intensely flavourful
    • RHS award-winning varieties
    • Eat fresh or use in scrummy desserts
    • Harvest from July to November

    1 option available

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  • Best Fruit Trees For Beginners Fruit Trees
    From £100
    £125 From £100

    3 Super Easy to Grow Fruit Trees | Apple, Fig & Plum

    Your orchard shortcut

    • Sweet and juicy fruits
    • Grow these compact trees in any size garden
    • Eat fresh or make into jams
    • Harvest from July to September

    1 option available

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  • Red Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Fireglow' Ornamental Trees
    From £40
    From £40

    Red Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Fireglow'

    A glowing palette of colour

    • Upright and bushy tree
    • Medium tree - grows to 4m
    • An array of red, green and purple foliage
    • Ideal for small gardens or containers

    2 options available

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  • Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Katsura' Ornamental Trees
    From £70
    From £70

    Japanese Maple Tree | Acer palmatum 'Katsura'

    An unbeatable feature tree

    • Bushy, vase-shaped tree
    • Small tree - grows to 3m
    • Yellow-orange leaves which mature to green
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Dabinett Cider Apple Tree Fruit Trees
    From £30
    £32 From £30

    'Dabinett' Cider Apple Tree

    Classic English cider apple

    • Full-bodied and medium dry (cider)
    • Reliable and easy to grow
    • Ideal for making delicious cider and juice
    • Harvest from October to November

    1 option available

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  • 90cm Honeysuckle 'Dropmore Scarlet' | Lonicera x Brownii | 3L Pot Climbing Plants
    From £25
    £30 From £25

    Scarlet Trumpet Honeysuckle | Lonicera x brownii 'Dropmore Scarlet'

    Instant cottage garden charm

    • Scarlet-orange, funnel-like flowers
    • Dramatic blue-green foliage
    • Grows in full sun but prefers a bit of shade
    • Yields blooms from July to September

    2 options available

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  • 'Gold Flame' Honeysuckle | Lonicera heckrottii Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    'Gold Flame' Honeysuckle | Lonicera heckrottii

    Showy, scented trumpet flowers

    • Carmine-pink and orange, horn-like blooms
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Partial or dappled shade is perfect
    • Blooms from June to September

    2 options available

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  • Cross-Pollinating Apple Collection | Bramley, Gala & Discovery Fruit Trees
    From £80
    £117 From £80

    Cross-Pollinating Apple Collection | Bramley, Gala & James Grieve

    Every apple you'll ever need!

    • A variety of wonderful flavours
    • Easy to grow, excellent disease resistance
    • Eat fresh or use in scrummy desserts
    • Harvest from August to November

    2 options available

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  • 'Crimson King' Purple-Leaved Maple Tree Ornamental Trees
    From £105
    £180 From £105

    'Crimson King' Purple-Leaved Maple Tree

    All hail this burgundy monarch!

    • Bushy, spreading tree
    • Large tree - 12m+ (can be kept much smaller)
    • Deep purple-crimson foliage all summer long
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

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  • Hydrangea Macrophylla 'Runaway Bride' Shrubs
    From £50
    From £50

    Hydrangea 'Runaway Bride'

    A lacecap like no other!

    • Floriferous bushy shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 1.2m
    • Dainty white lacecap blooms
    • Fabulous long flowering season

    1 option available

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  • Petite Poire' Pear Tree Fruit Trees
    From £32
    £37 From £32

    'Petite Poire' Pear Tree

    Small but utterly mighty

    • Bite-sized hits of sweet juiciness
    • Can be grown in a container
    • Perfect for snacking and lunchboxes
    • Harvest from September

    2 options available

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  • Hydrangea paniculata Vanille Fraise Shrubs
    From £25
    From £25

    Hydrangea paniculata 'Vanille Fraise'

    Fluffy ice-cream blooms!

    • Delightfully bushy shrub
    • Medium shrub - grows up to 2.5m
    • Pyramidal panicles turn from cream to pink
    • Great for cut flower gardens

    2 options available

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  • Paper Birch Tree | Betula Papyrifera Ornamental Trees
    From £25
    From £25

    Paper Birch Tree | Betula papyrifera

    Bark like peeling parchment

    • Broadly conical tree
    • Large tree - grows up to 12m
    • Green foliage, white bark and yellow catkins
    • Distinctive orange inner bark

    2 options available

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  • Hydrangea macrophylla 'Little Pink' Shrubs
    £50
    £50

    Hydrangea macrophylla 'Little Pink'

    Small in stature, big on impact!

    • Dwarf shrub with bushy growth
    • Small shrub - grows up to 0.75m
    • Hot pink flower domes and lush foliage
    • Ideal for container growing

    1 option available

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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

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