On the Rocks

Native plants for well-drained, shallow soils.

As gardeners in Muskoka, many of us have at least one area where soil is only a few inches deep, or where the ground is predominantly sand or gravel. You may have been told that nothing will grow there — that the roots have no room to establish or that the soil lacks sufficient organic matter.

Yet in natural landscapes, alvars burst into bloom each spring. Sandy dunes and even scree slopes are stabilized and beautified by grasses and wildflowers. These environments thrive not despite their challenging conditions, but because plants have adapted specifically to them.

So why can’t we create gardens in our own rocky outcrops or shallow soils?

The truth is — we can.

Below are some of our go-to native plants that are well-suited to sandy, shallow, gravelly, well-drained, and nutrient-poor soils. These species are naturally adapted to these conditions and can transform difficult spaces into resilient, beautiful habitats.

Lance-leaved CoreopsisLance leaf coreopsis, Coreopsis lanceolata

Light requirements: Full sun
Soil conditions: Medium to dry
Height: 1′-2′
Bloom colour: Yellow
Bloom time: June to August, and longer if dead-headed periodically

Prairie SmokePrairie Smoke, Geum triflorum

Light requirements: Full sun
Soil conditions: Dry to medium
Height: 6″
Bloom colour: Pink
Bloom time: May

Field PussytoesField Pussytoes, Antennaria neglecta

Light requirements: Full to part sun
Soil conditions: Dry to medium
Height: 2″
Bloom colour: White
Bloom time: May

Wild StrawberryWild Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana

Light requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil conditions: Dry to medium
Height: 2″
Bloom colour: White
Bloom time: May

Hairy BeardtongueHairy Beardtongue, Penstemon hirsutus

Light requirements: Full sun
Soil conditions: Medium to dry
Height: 1′-2′
Bloom colour: Pink
Bloom time: June-July

Wild ColumbineWild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis

Light requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil conditions: Dry to medium
Height: 1′
Bloom colour: Red
Bloom time: May

HarebellHarebell, Campanula rotundifolia

Light requirements: Full to part sun
Soil conditions: Medium to dry
Height: 6″-12″
Bloom colour: Purple
Bloom time: June – September

Black-eyed SusanBlack-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta

Light requirements: Full to partial sun
Soil conditions: Medium to dry
Height: 1′ – 2′
Bloom colour: Yellow
Bloom time: July

Upland White GoldenrodUpland White Goldenrod, Oligoneuron album

Light requirements: Full sun
Soil conditions: Medium to dry
Height: 1′-2′
Bloom colour: White
Bloom time: September – October

Gray GoldenrodGrey Goldenrod, Solidago nemoralis

Light requirements: Full to part sun
Soil conditions: Dry to medium
Height: 1′-2′
Bloom colour: Yellow
Bloom time: September – October