Hardy Plants for the Coast
Though gardening along the coast can be challenging, it is possible to work with the elements and have the garden you want. The secret is proper plant selection.
Nurseries on the coast carry plants that grow well on the coast, stand up to salt spray and wind conditions. Here is a sampling of these plants:
* GRASSES
Bermuda grass (salt-tolerant)
Kikuyu grass (salt-tolerant)
Note: These grasses are very invasive and should be contained within borders.
* SALT-TOLERANT PERENNIALS
Artemisia (sage)
Atriplex (saltbush)
Baccharis (coyote bush)
Coreopsis
Cotoneaster Cymbidium
Echium
Hemerocallis (day lily)
Lamb’s ears
Lavender
Lupines
Penstemon
Salvia
* PERENNIALS
Agapanthus (lily of the Nile)
Armeria (sea pink)
Aster
Capeweed ( Arctotheca calendula )
Cistus
Ceanothus (wild lilac)
Eschscholzia (California poppy)
Gazania
Geraniums
Lavender
Santolina
* WIND-TOLERANT
SUCCULENTS
Agave
Aloe
Aptenia (red apple)
Crassula (jade)
Cotyledons
Drosanthemum (rosea ice plant)
Echeveria elegans
Euphorbia
Yucca
* TREES AND SHRUBS
Acacia
Arctostaphylos (manzanita)
Callistemon (bottlebrush)
Cypressus (Monterey cypress)
Escallonia
Lantana
Leptospermum laevigatum (Australian tea tree)
Melaleuca
Myoporum
Metrosideros excelsus (New Zealand Christmas tree)
Nerium (oleander)
Pittosporum
Palm
Roses (some varieties)
Rosmarinus (rosemary)
Scoparium
* VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
Artichokes
Bush Beans
Blackberries
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower culinary herbs
Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, mustard, kale, endive, arugula, cabbage, etc.
Raspberries
Root crops, such as beets, carrots, garlic, onions, potatoes
Sugar snap peas
Sunflowers
Strawberries
Tomatoes (varieties developed for cool and foggy areas)
Zucchini
* VINES
Bougainvillea
Distictis (scarlet trumpet vine)
Hardenbergia (lilac vine)
Hedera (ivy)
Jasminum (jasmine)
Passiflora (passion vine)
Solanum jasminoides (potato vine)
Sweet pea (flowering)
Tecomaria (Cape honeysuckle)
