Strong winds, salty sea spray and poor sandy soil can pose a real challenge for coastal gardens. Debi Holland showcases five hardy plants that are adapted to grow well in these coastal conditions.
Five resilient plants for a coastal garden
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This week I’m on the Cornish coast, so I thought I’d share five resilient plants for coastal gardens.
- Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca ‘Citrina’.
That’s a bit of a mouthful, but this beautiful, compact evergreen shrub has small blue-green leaves and bright lemon-yellow, pea-like flowers that smell divine. It flowers from winter into spring, and it can bloom for longer if it’s happy in a sunny, sheltered spot with good drainage. This shrub is a ray of sunshine.
- Thrift, or sea pink.
This hardy little plant is good at looking after itself. It may be small, but it can handle poor soil, salty air and wind. It’ll shower you with pretty pink flowers from spring into summer and is ideal for rockeries, containers and the edges of paths. Once established, it’s drought-tolerant, and local pollinators will love it.
- Tamarisk, or salt cedar.
This large deciduous shrub or small tree is often planted as a hedge or windbreak in coastal areas. It’s covered in long, feathery flowers and can be a graceful addition to a garden.
Tamarisk has an unusual survival strategy. It takes up salt and sheds it from its leaves, which can make it harder for other plants to grow nearby. Some tamarisks spread aggressively in other parts of the world, so it’s worth being aware of how a plant behaves in different environments.
- Sea kale.
If you have a kitchen garden or gravel garden, sea kale is a great choice. This hardy, sun-loving perennial has large, ornamental blue-green leaves and honey-scented white flowers in spring. The spring shoots are similar to asparagus. Young leaves can go into a salad, and older leaves can be cooked like kale. Sea kale also grows in containers, so it can work on a patio or balcony.
- Aeonium.
For something a little different, try an aeonium. Its thick, fleshy leaves bring an exotic look to a coastal garden. Grow it in gritty, sandy soil or compost that drains freely, because the roots dislike sitting in water. Aeoniums are well suited to pots, and their fleshy leaves help them cope with dry spells.
And that’s my five resilient plants for coastal gardens.
