plant-ph-ranges

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

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.