There are countless lists of plants suggested for septic fields. This is not a comprehensive list, just a list of commonly used plants I feel fairly confident about. Be sure to check your specific septic and site conditions and shade/sun preferences of plants before selecting. Check guidelines for recommended distances for shrubs, vines and trees — there are no guarantees, especially when it comes to trees, shrubs or vines.
Grasses/Clover (for play fields and heavy usage)
- Traditional lawn (seed or turf)
- Microclover (can mix with eco grasses or meadow flowers)
- Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sledge)
- Eco-grass naturalized lawns/meadows (some are sold specifically for septic field use). Eco-grasses are typically a mix of drought-resistant and clumping grasses like red fescues.
Bulbs/Corms/Rhizomes/Tubers (for naturalizing lawns and meadows)
- allium (all types)
- autumn crocus
- spring crocus
- crocosmia
- bluebell
- gladiolus
- enkianthus
- scilla
- hardy cyclamen
- hyacinth
- ipheion
- iris
- leucojum
- snowdrop
- lilly
- muscari
- narcissus
- tulip (use species ones for naturalizing)
Carpeting/Creeping Perennials ("stepables" for light walking and use. Weeds can be an issue)
- creeping penstemon
- thymes (especially dwarf thyme)
- mazus reptans
- blue star creeper
- aubretia
- armeria (thrift)
- native mosses
- ajuga (dwarf)
- creeping jenny
- hernaria
- baby tears
- brass buttons (hard to establish)
- gold oregano
- carpeting sedums
- carpeting saxifraga
Taller perennial flowers/grasses (For viewing or strolling on paths, it’s best if drainfields are at least 1 foot deep)
- violets
- daylily
- wintergreen
- poppies
- waldsteinia
- anemones
- penstemon (rgl)
- agapanthus
- lady's mantle
- Amsonia
- columbine
- astilbe
- hardy begonias
- foxglove
- bleeding heart
- ferns (most)
- hardy lobelia
- forget-me-not
- sweet william
- creeping woodland phlox
- thalictrum
- tiarella
- toad lily
- aster novae-angliae
- coreopsis
- salvias
- sedums (all kinds)
- irises
- perennial geraniums
- ajuga (tall)
- armeria (thrift)
- false Solomon’s seal
- wild ginger
- Festuca ovina (blue or green fescue)
- deschampsia grass
- pennisetum grass
- stipa tenuissima (feather grass)
- tall fescue grass
- carex grass
- bergenia
- brunnera
- sweet woodruff
- hellebore
- coral bells
- hosta
- primula
- pulmonaria
- saxifraga
- trillium
- yarrow
- artemisia (small, delicate ones)
- liatris
- nepeta
Shrubs (Slow-growing shrubs with fibrous, contained root systems. These are less likely to be a problem if planted at the recommended distances from a drainfield.)
- boxwood
- potentilla
- daphne
- hebes
- dwarf/shrubby euonymus
- rhododendron/azaleas
- choisya
Trees with more vertical root growth (Also less likely to cause harm if planted at the recommended distances from a drainfield.)
- cherry
- crabapple
- dogwoods
- genetically dwarf trees
- small species maple: palmatum (Japanese maple)
- maples: griseum, Amur
- cotinus
- cercis
- Japanese snowbell
About the author: Wynn Nielsen is a landscape designer on Bowen Island off Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This was taken from a handout presented to homeowners at a recent seminar on landscaping over septic systems. Contact Nielsen at www.artistinthegarden.ca.
