Plant pH Ranges
Different plants grow best with certain soil pH levels. Here is a list of some common types of plants and their optimal pH ranges.
Flowers & Shrubs | Forest Trees and Plants | Fruit | Vegetable Crops | Weeds
Field Crops
PLANT TYPE |
SOIL pH |
Alfalfa |
6.2-7.8 |
Barley |
6.5-7.8 |
Bean, field |
6.0-7.5 |
Beets, sugar |
6.5-8.0 |
Bluegrass, Kentucky |
5.5-7.5 |
Clover, red |
6.0-7.5 |
Clover, sweet |
6.5-7.5 |
Clover, white |
5.6-7.0 |
Corn |
5.5-7.5 |
Flax |
5.0-7.0 |
Oats |
5.0-7.5 |
Pea, field |
6.0-7.5 |
Peanut |
5.6-6.6 |
Rice |
5.0-6.5 |
Rye |
5.0-7.0 |
Sorghum |
5.5-7.5 |
Soybean |
6.0-7.0 |
Sugar cane |
6.0-8.0 |
Tobacco |
5.5-7.5 |
Wheat |
5.5-7.5 |
Flowers & Shrubs
PLANT TYPE |
SOIL pH |
African violet |
6.0-7.0 |
Almond, flowering |
6.0-7.0 |
Alyssum |
6.0-7.5 |
Azalea |
4.5-5.0 |
Barberry, Japanese |
6.0-7.5 |
Begonia |
5.5-7.0 |
Burning bush |
5.5-7.5 |
Calendula |
5.5-7.0 |
Carnation |
6.0-7.5 |
Chrysanthemum |
6.0-7.5 |
Gardenia |
5.0-6.0 |
Geranium |
6.0-8.0 |
Holly, American |
5.0-6.0 |
Ivy, Boston |
6.0-8.0 |
Lilac |
6.0-7.5 |
Lily, Easter |
6.0-7.0 |
Magnolia |
5.0-6.0 |
Orchid |
4.0-5.0 |
Phlox |
5.0-6.0 |
Poinsettia |
6.0-7.0 |
Quince, flowering |
6.0-7.0 |
Rhododendron |
4.5-6.0 |
Rose, hybrid tea |
5.5-7.0 |
Snapdragon |
6.0-7.5 |
Snowball |
6.5-7.5 |
Sweet William |
6.0-7.5 |
Zinnia |
5.5-7.5 |
Forest Trees & Plants
PLANT TYPE |
SOIL pH |
Ash, white |
6.0-7.5 |
Aspen, American |
3.8-5.5 |
Beech |
5.0-6.7 |
Birch, European (white) |
4.5-6.0 |
Cedar, white |
4.5-5.0 |
Club moss |
4.5-5.0 |
Fir, balsam |
5.0-6.0 |
Fir, Douglas |
6.0-7.0 |
Heather |
4.5-6.0 |
Hemlock |
5.0-6.0 |
Larch, European |
5.0-6.5 |
Maple, sugar |
6.0-7.5 |
Moss, sphagnum |
3.5-5.0 |
Oak, black |
6.0-7.0 |
Oak, pin |
5.0-6.5 |
Oak, white |
5.0-6.5 |
Pine, jack |
4.5-5.0 |
Pine, loblolly |
5.0-6.0 |
Pine, red |
5.0-6.0 |
Pine, white |
4.5-6.0 |
Spruce, black |
4.0-5.0 |
Spruce, Colorado |
6.0-7.0 |
Spruce, white |
5.0-6.0 |
Sycamore |
6.0-7.5 |
Tamarack |
5.0-6.5 |
Walnut, black |
6.0-8.0 |
Yew, Japanese |
6.0-7.0 |
Fruit
PLANT TYPE |
SOIL pH |
Apple |
5.0-6.5 |
Apricot |
6.0-7.0 |
Arbor Vitae |
6.0-7.5 |
Blueberry, high bush |
4.0-5.0 |
Cherry, sour |
6.0-7.0 |
Cherry, sweet |
6.0-7.5 |
Crab apple |
6.0-7.5 |
Cranberry, large |
4.2-5.0 |
Peach |
6.0-7.5 |
Pineapple |
5.0-6.0 |
Raspberry, red |
5.5-7.0 |
Strawberry |
5.0-6.5 |
Vegetable Crops
PLANT TYPE |
SOIL pH |
Asparagus |
6.0-8.0 |
Beets, table |
6.0-7.5 |
Broccoli |
6.0-7.0 |
Cabbage |
6.0-7.5 |
Carrot |
5.5-7.0 |
Cauliflower |
5.5-7.5 |
Celery |
5.8-7.0 |
Cucumber |
5.5-7.0 |
Lettuce |
6.0-7.0 |
Muskmelon |
6.0-7.0 |
Onion |
5.8-7.0 |
Potato |
4.8-6.5 |
Rhubarb |
5.5-7.0 |
Spinach |
6.0-7.5 |
Tomato |
5.5-7.5 |
Weeds
PLANT TYPE |
SOIL pH |
Dandelion |
5.5-7.0 |
Dodder |
5.5-7.0 |
Foxtail |
6.0-7.5 |
Goldenrod |
5.0-7.5 |
Grass, crab |
6.0-7.0 |
Grass, quack |
5.5-6.5 |
Horse tail |
4.5-6.0 |
Milkweed |
4.0-5.0 |
Mustard, wild |
6.0-8.0 |
Thistle, Canada |
5.0-7.5 |
Information gathered for NASA’s Soil Science Education Home Page by Christy Spector.