Clay-Loving

• Some grasses prefer clay soil. Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica) grows best in clay soil. Native to North America, this grass has thin, blue-green foliage and grows 1 to 1½ feet tall. Arizona fescue forms upright clumps and grows well in full sun. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grows well in clay soil. This North American native grows in clumps of green to blue foliage and produces white inflorescences in summer. Little bluestem foliage turns orange to red in fall. Plant this 2- to 4-foot-tall grass in full sun.
  
  

Drought-Tolerant

• Some grasses tolerate not only clay but drought conditions. Alkali droopseed (Sporobolis airoides) grows well in clay soil and full sun, and grows to 5 feet tall. This grass grows in clumping, loose mounds, and has gray-green foliage that turns yellow in autumn. Indian grass (Sorphaatum nutans) thrives in a range of soils, from clay to dry, and prefers full sun. This 5- to 7-foot-tall grass forms in clumps of foliage that turns yellow to orange in fall. Indian grass blooms with bronze and yellow inflorescences in late summer.
  
  

Sand-Tolerant

• Some grasses tolerate sand along with clay. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grows in clay soil, though it prefers sandy, rich, well-drained sites. This blue-green grass turns orange to red in autumn and grows 4 to 7 feet tall. It has an open to arching growth habit and seeds itself. Plant big bluestem in full sun. Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus) tolerates clay, sand and poor soils and requires full sun. This upright, clumping grass has green foliage that turns deep purple to red in fall. Broomsedge blooms with orange inflorescences in autumn.
  
  

Turf Grass

• For a clay-tolerant turf grass, choose St. Augustine (Stenotaphrum secundatum). This wide, blue-green to green grass establishes itself rapidly and can be planted in plug, sod or spring form. It requires regular irrigation and grows into thatch when overly fertilized. The "Raleigh" cultivar is best suited to clay. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) also thrives in clay. This tough, dense grass tolerates heavy foot traffic and prefers soil with a high ratio of organic matter. Tall fescues have dark-green foliage and grow in a clumping form. Do not mow tall fescues below 1½ inches.