Sorry to give you false hope by responding! I have no answers only sympathy! I have the same problem with an area at my place. Just wanted to let you know you're not alone. Hope someone responds with some good ideas! ALL of my soil is clay and I amend, amend, amend, amend & then amend some more but my rear slope (sounds kinda personal huh?) is just too steep to do all the work of amending. Good question!

Well I can't say it will survive being walked on very much but if you will put in a couple of stepping stones and mix in some pine bark fines to loosen the clay a little I know you can have a full stand of Homestead Purple Verbena. Mine grows in clay, in full sun next to a wide hot driveway and blooms all spring and summer. Best of all it is a spreading perennial! By the way, Seeds of Grace, I don't want to get personal either but working on our rear slopes is no fun for most of us!

Thanks to both of you for your replies! :) I may try the Verbena - I also found that Moneywort Creeping Jenny may work. I may wind up with a mix... with any hope!! :) I'm open to any suggestions.

Red apple ice plant will grow (and grow and grow) there, but it's an invasive plant in which you'd have to keep away from your flower bed............Good Luck!

Whether it will live in your zone I don't know. I first thought of asiatic jasmine. It doesn't bloom, but stays green here and creeps. Doesn't mind a little walking traffic and takes sun or shade. Easy to trim/edge if needed. I planted it under some large oak trees about 4 yrs ago and had to use a pick axe to dig the holes. If that tells u how hard the ground was. I circled the trees with loriope (monkey grass) and went out from there. For the most part its hard to get anything to grow under live oaks cause the leaves have a toxin in them, but the monkey grass and A. jasmine have so far. Just keep the ground moist for the first year if possible so the roots can grow in the compacted soil, then you can taper off from there. It depends on whether you want something thats going to bloom or not. H. Verbena is a great choice as I have planted that also in my compacted clay soil, and it has worked. Also check in on ivy for your area. Another for a difficult area and a slope is Loriope Spicata. It spreads and can take abuse once established. Your low growing junipers is another. You could also find a wildflower mix for your zone, they don't like being planted deep, thats also another I plant in problem areas where amending is out of the question. As far as those of you with a slope think about some of your rambling roses that doesn't mind poor soil. I suggest your antiques/og kind. Hope this helps a little. trudyjean

how tall gc desired? shrubbier wide spreaders are best bet.

mixed species have better chance (ie, not true 'gc')

I have clay and a dry, full sun garden. Many plants just die out. But, I have had good results with Missouri Primrose Oenothera fremontis 'Lemon Silver' (large yellow blooms), Ice Plant Malephora c.var purpureo-crocea 'Tequilla Sunrise', Coreopsis grandiflora 'Early Sunrise', Mexican Evening Primrose Oenothera b. 'Siskiyou' (pink blooms), Leadwort Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (small blue flowers), and Hybrid Strawberry Fragaria 'Lipstick' (red flowers). They are vigorous and will spread.

Creeping thyme and sedum might work

I have the same problem, except my soil will stay soggy for a good part of the Spring and early Summer. Once it dries out it is very hard. I experimented a bit this past year and found that the coreopsis, and a sterile type of loosetrife did very well. My daylilies are hanging in there, but I can't say they are thriving. Even my hosta pooped out this year and I thought that could take anything. I am up for ideas also. Unfortunately, I do not get full sun. Zone 4.

Erigeron karvinskianus is doing well in my full sun, wind and clay. I mow it once a year, currently about 12" thick. Self seeds. Bluestone lists it to zone 4, available in seed from Thompsan & Morgan.
It replaced rosemary, that was getting rather woody. (and may be outside your zone.)

Lantana works great for me as well as the purple verbena and most sedums...

Try Oregano and/or Thyme. Both will grow almost anywhere, don't mind too much getting stepped on, and readily re-seed.

Autumnlayne,
It sounds like your clay is very compacted. From experience I can tell you that it will take an awful lot of organic matter to amend this spot into good garden loam.

My suggestion would be that (unless you want more garden space for some reason) you make a simple path through the area - a few flat stones, or if room add a bench or seat, as someone else suggested, maybe add a small boulder or two, or a statue, plants in a big pot - whatever would please you. Try to make a small vignette

I would raise the area to the level of the existing flower bed (I assume a few inches), using leaf mold, humus, soil from emptied out flower pots, a bag of composted manure, and lots of organic mulch (as the finishing touch at the end of the project).

I would then pocket plant a few spaces right around the flat stones, boulders, statues or bench. Thyme (there are many varieties - wooly, lemon, etc.)would really like the warmth of the rocks, especially if they are raised up a bit for better drainage. (Some Dianthus also tolerate wet clay when grown around stones.) Creeping Jenny, as mentioned would work, if the area is wetter.

Add a couple of taller plants for accents, coreopsis as mentioned by someone would look nice, either annual or perennial. You could also plant an edging or a block of annuals in your new bed. They can manage in 5 or 6 inches of soil. Voila - a new attractive space, that can take balls and foot traffic.

Now the reason that I suggested using leaf mold, humus, etc. in the bed, but not planting much of it, is that I never have enough garden space. LOL. I'd keep the area in some annuals, a few easy perennials, and I would keep adding leftover bits of compost, soil from pots, manure, & leaf mold to the area for a few years and let the worms do the rest. Now someday - there would be a garden there!

I have a similar area -- most of my soil amendment there has been just letting hardwood mulch decompose. Sedum rupestre has worked wonderfully. I think it would probably be invasive in better soil. It has pretty bluish foliage and nice yellow flowers in late May/early June (here in zone 6).

PotEmUp - What is Erigeron karvinskianus? I did a web search and couldn't find it. Does it have a common name that I could use to ask about it at my local gardening center?

Sunnymoringgardens, Erigeron is usually called fleabane. They look a lot like asters. I checked karvinskianus on google and found that it is called Daisy or Mexican fleabane or Santa Barbara Daisy. It is not hardy in zone 5. Other erigerons are hardy here. They are often sold as E speciosus, but are usually hybrids, despite the name. They require sun and good drainage. Because of the drainage requirement I have never grown them. My clay soil is always wet, but they might work well in your dry clay soil. Leslie

I have the full sun, hard clay dirt - tried for years to find something that would last and not have to be ripped out and replanted. I got fed up last year and pulled up everything in the front yard - just let the grass and weeds take it over - we just mow it to make it look presentable.

the area i need help with is a small hill that is in full sun and it is eroding from constant rain. what do you suggest? thanks

Potentilla crantzii pygmaea works well with compacted clay soil.

Here is a link that might be useful: wikimedia

the only thing that redeems dry clay in sun is to find a boatload of woodchips and let them rot out on the soil then you have a chance at growing something. On a hill area I have dumped the wood chips and anchored them down so they wouldn't travel and wash out. I used some left over screening. Kept it moist in the really dry times. If you can use some pond water, that helps tremendously. It breaks it down quicker. The result is usable soil that is life sustaining, but gotta be patient with the process.