• Even in clay soils, you can plant a vibrant garden by selecting the right plants.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Clay soils can present a challenge when planning a garden or landscape. Made up of particles so small that you need an electron microscope to see them, clay soils offer only minute spaces for water and air to pass through, creating soils described as heavy or tight, which drain poorly and make it difficult for plant roots to penetrate. In Florida, clay soils are common on the panhandle, notes the Florida Native Plant Society, and gardeners planting in clay soils should give extra consideration in order to choose plants able to tolerate a heavy soil.
  
  

American Wisteria

• American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) grows as a woody, flowering vine that can reach 50 feet in length, according to Floridata, perfect for adorning a fence, trellis or tree. American wisteria is native throughout northern and central Florida and tolerates the soils found there, including clay. The vine produces purplish-blue or white clusters of flowers that feed native bees and attract several species of butterflies. Unlike the popular Chinese wisteria, American wisteria tends not to grow aggressively, making it better suited for smaller sites. Wisteria grows best and produces its most abundant flowers on a full sun site. Although young plants need frequent watering, once established, the American wisteria can tolerate dry conditions.
  
  

Red Maple

• The red maple (Acer rubrum) grows natively in the eastern United States, including throughout Florida, and offers many features that make it appealing as a landscaping tree. As the name suggests, many cultivars produce brilliant red fall foliage. The tree also develops showy red flowers and samaras -- winged seedpods -- in the spring, where they contrast against its silvery-green foliage. The red maple generally grows quickly to reach 40 and 70 feet in height. It can tolerate all soil types, including the clay soils found in central Florida, as well as wet sites, a common problem when planting in clay. The red maple grows best on an acidic soil and a full-sun site, according to the University of Connecticut.
  
  

Seashore Mallow

• The seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya virginica) produces large, showy pink to white blossoms with bright yellow stamens protruding from the center. A Florida native, the seashore mallow resembles the hibiscus and tolerates the state's clay soils, making it an attractive flowering plant to serve as a focal point in your garden. The seashore mallow grows as a perennial, and although it only lives for about five years, it self-sows seed easily. Its trumpet-shaped blossoms attract both hummingbirds and butterflies. The seashore mallow prefers a sunny site and needs abundant moisture. It can grow on both acidic and alkaline soils, and it thrives even on sites with standing water. The seashore mallow's ability to withstand slightly salty soils, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, suggests it for use in coastal gardens in Florida, where soil salinity poses additional challenges in addition to the clay soils found in some parts of the state.