Plants for Compacted Soils
E = evergreen; N = native to Maine
| Trees: | |
|---|---|
| Abies balsamea E, N | Balsam Fir |
| Acer rubrum N ; Acer saccharinum N | Red Maple ; Silver Maple |
| Acer saccharinum N | Silver Maple |
| Alnus incana | Speckled Alder |
| Betula nigra | River Birch |
| Cercis canadensis | Eastern Redbud |
| Crataegus crus-galli, N | Cockspur Hawthorn |
| Fraxinus americana N | White Ash |
| Fraxinus nigra N | Black Ash |
| Fraxinus pennsylvanica N | Green Ash |
| Ginkgo biloba | Ginkgo |
| Gleditsia triacanthos | Honeylocust |
| Juglans cinerea, N | Butternut |
| Juglans nigra N | Black Walnut |
| Larix decidua | European Larch |
| Larix laricina N | Tamarack |
| Picea glauca E, N | White Spruce |
| Picea mariana, E, N | Black Spruce |
| Populus deltoides N | Eastern Cottonwood |
| Quercus bicolor N | Swamp White Oak |
| Quercus macrocarpa N | Bur Oak |
| Quercus palustris | Pin Oak |
| Salix nigra, N | Black Willow |
| Syringa reticulata | Japanese Tree Lilac |
| Thuja occidentalis E, N | Arborvitae; White Cedar |
| Tilia americana, N | Basswood |
| Ulmus pumila | Siberian Elm |
| Shrubs: | |
| Amelanchier alnifolia | Saskatoon Serviceberry |
| Caragana arborescens | Siberian Peashrub |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis N | Buttonbush |
| Cornus racemosa N | Gray Dogwood |
| Cornus sericea N | Red Osier |
| Dasiphora (Potentilla) fruticosa N | Shrubby Cinquefoil |
| Euonymus atropurpureus | Eastern Wahoo |
| Diervilla lonicera N | Dwarf Bushhoneysuckle |
| Juniperus communis E, N | Common Juniper |
| Juniperus horizontalis E, N | Creeping Juniper |
| Photinia (Aronia) melanocarpa N | Black Chokeberry |
| Physocarpus opulifolius | Common Ninebark |
| Pinus mugo E | Mugo Pine |
| Rhododendron (Ledum) groenlandicum E, N | Labrador Tea |
| Rhus glabra N | Smooth Sumac |
| Rhus typhina N | Staghorn Sumac |
| Spiraea x bumalda | Bumald Spirea |
| Spiraea x vanhouttei | Vanhoutte Spirea |
| Symphoricarpos albus | Snowberry |
| Syringa vulgaris | Common Lilac |
| Thuja occidentalis E, N (shrub forms) | Arborvitae; White Cedar |
| Viburnum dentatum N | Arrowwood Viburnum |
| Groundcovers: | |
| Dasiphora (Potentilla) fruticosa N | Shrubby Cinquefoil |
| Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Coralberry |
| Rhus aromatica | Fragrant Sumac |
NOTES:
In sites with heavily compacted soil, plant choices are very limited. The alternative is to change the soil. Three methods are:
- Replace the soil. This is very expensive in large spaces.
- Add a layer of well-structured soil, either in berms or in raised beds. To accommodate woody plants’ root systems, such a layer must be at least 18” deep, but preferably deeper. Do not cover existing trees’ roots with this deep a layer of soil.
- Amend compacted soil with organic matter. Soil amendment is a long-term project that requires ongoing effort. Over time, the organic matter breaks down and “glues” soil particles together, providing more space for roots, water and air. Organic matter should be incorporated into the entire mature-plant root zone, no just into the planting hole.
From the GardenPro Answer Book; revised and updated by Lois Berg Stack, Ornamental Horticulture Specialist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.