Serpentine and related rocks sometimes contain naturally occurring asbestos (NOA). When these rocks break down into soil, the NOA comes with them, and that creates a health hazard. Learn to recognize serpentine soils and keep health risks to a minimum.

When gardening in serpentine soils, you need to avoid exposure to naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) and some heavy metals. Here are precautions you can take in the garden along with a list of trees and shrubs you can plant to help stabilize these soils.