Gardening Flowers Perennials 15 Pretty, Salt-Tolerant Greenery Options for Coastal Planting These tough but beautiful options for coastal planting will thrive despite the ocean air and sandy soil. By Nicole Bradley Nicole Bradley Nicole Bradley Kinning is a former garden and home improvement writer for Better Homes & Gardens, where she has also written about pets, beauty and lifestyle topics. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on September 8, 2023 Reviewed by David McKinney Reviewed by David McKinney David McKinney is an experienced plantsman sharing his expertise in horticulture. His knowledge spans landscape management, growing plants indoors and in the greenhouse, ecological plant selection, and much more. With nearly 15 years in the industry, he is well versed in both herbaceous and woody plants with additional interest in entomology. Learn about BHG's Gardening Review Board Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Tria Giovan Elevate an already-stunning ocean view by creating a showstopping seaside garden. These coastal perennials, annuals, and shrubs will put on a show-stopping display of color from spring to fall, despite sandy soils, salt spray, and strong winds. Because they're so tough, these plants also would be good choices for just about any yard, whether your view is a beach, prairie, or mountaintop. 01 of 15 Daylily Dean Schoeppner Thriving just about anywhere you plant them, daylilies make a reliable choice for seaside gardens. They bear grassy foliage and flowers in a wide range of shades, from bright reds and deep purples to golden yellows, eye-catching oranges, and creamy white. Name: Hemerocallis Size: To 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide Growing Conditions: Full to part sun in moist, well-drained soil Zones: 3-10 02 of 15 Sea Oats Rob Cardillo Native to North America, this ornamental grass thrives just about anywhere you plant it (even in shade). Its name is a clue that it works well as a coastal plant. Sea oats bears unique seed plumes that seem to dance in the breeze and attractive bronze foliage in fall. Name: Chasmanthium latifolium Size: To 5 feet tall and 30 inches wide Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established Zones: 4-8 Sea oats can be an aggressive spreader in the garden; prevent reseeding by cutting off seed stalks in late summer. 03 of 15 Red-Hot Poker Laurie Dickson Add some vertical interest to seaside gardens with red-hot poker. This stately perennial offers strappy leaves, topped by spikes of red, orange, and yellow flowers in summer. It's a perfect plant for salty soil, but it's also heat- and drought-tolerant, plus it's a favorite of hummingbirds. Name: Kniphofia Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil Zones: 5-9 04 of 15 Gaillardia Jamie Hadley Grow bold gaillardia (a tough perennial also known as blanket flower) for its long bloom season in seaside gardens; it flowers nonstop from summer to frost. It's also drought-resistant, so it thrives in the sandy and salty soils around lakes and oceans. Want more reasons to love it? Gaillardia is great for cutting and attracts scores of butterflies. Name: Gaillardia Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in average soil; can tolerate poor soils and drought Zones: 3-10 05 of 15 Yarrow Bob Stefko Easy-growing yarrow is the perfect coastal plant for any sunny garden. It's virtually pest-free, makes a sturdy cut flower, and holds up to cold, drought, and windy conditions. Look for selections with blooms in shades of rich yellow, terra-cotta orange, deep red, bright pink, and pure white. Name: Achillea Size: To 3 feet tall and wide Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained, average soil; can tolerate drought Zones: 3-10 06 of 15 Lantana Blaine Moats Tolerant of salty soil, lantana is the perfect plant to grow along the beach in seaside gardens. It has brightly colored flowers from summer to frost that almost guarantee that you'll see butterflies in your garden. You'll also enjoy this coastal plant's easy-care nature; it does not need deadheading or much other maintenance to look its best. Name: Lantana Size: To 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide in most conditions Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil Zones: 8-11, but grown as an annual in colder regions 07 of 15 Gazania Jay Graham Gardeners cherish gazanias in coastal gardens as much for their cheery, daisy-shape blooms in bright shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and white as their tough nature. In warm-climate areas, these plants for salty soil are evergreen perennials, but they also can be used as seaside balcony plants for container gardens. Name: Gazania selections Size: To 1 foot tall and wide Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established Zones: 4-10, but usually grown as an annual 08 of 15 Lavender Peter Krumhardt Double your pleasure by planting lavender in front of roses in seaside gardens. Both will fill your garden with scent. Lavender is an easy-care sandy soil plant that grows well along the beach. Name: Lavandula angustifolia Size: To 3 feet tall and wide Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought Zones: 5-10 09 of 15 Hydrangea Jeff McNamara Although they look delicate, you can include hydrangeas in your coastal garden inspiration. They don't mind sandy soil and hold up well to wind, so they're a beautiful addition to partly shaded sections of seaside gardens. Name: Hydrangea Size: To 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide Growing Conditions: Full sun to full shade (depending on variety) in moist, well-drained soil Zones: 3-9 Most hydrangea varieties don't deal well with drought. Be sure to keep them well-watered. 10 of 15 Juniper William N. Hopkins Enjoy color and texture all year in seaside gardens with evergreen juniper. Happily, there's a wide range of these easy-growing coastal shrubs. Look for varieties with blue, green, or gold foliage, low, creeping types, medium-size selections, and tall, narrow picks perfect for privacy. Name: Juniperus Size: To 65 feet tall and 20 feet wide Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought Zones: 3-9 11 of 15 Portulaca William N. Hopkins Drought-tolerant and tough-as-nails, portulaca (often called moss rose) is a perfect beach plant for salty soil. This coastal flower bears beautiful blooms on a low, creeping plant ideal for the front of the border or in window boxes, hanging baskets, and other containers in seaside gardens. It blooms in shades from white and magenta to yellow, orange, and red. Name: Portulaca Size: To 9 inches tall and 1 foot wide Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil; can tolerate drought Zones: Annual 12 of 15 Geranium Peter Krumhardt Happy in any sunny spot, geraniums are an ideal coastal plant for seaside gardens. Look for varieties that have bright red blooms to catch the eye, or go with soft pinks or whites for a more soothing presentation. Name: Pelargonium Size: To 3 feet tall and wide Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil Zones: 10-11, but usually grown as an annual 13 of 15 Cuphea Peter Krumhardt Colorful cuphea blooms all summer, producing bright red, pink, or orange flowers, even in the hottest weather or in salty soil. It also holds up well to drying winds, making it the perfect coastal plant. Though it is perennial in frost-free climates, it is usually grown as an annual. Name: Cuphea Size: To 30 inches tall and 3 feet wide Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established Zones: 8-11 14 of 15 Sea Pink David Speer This lovely coastal groundcover has grassy foliage and round clusters of pink or white flowers in late spring and early summer, adding charm to seaside gardens. Sea pink, also called sea thrift, is a slow spreader, so you don't have to worry about it running rampant in sandy soil. Name: Armeria Size: To 1 foot tall and wide Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained, moist soil Zones: 4-8 15 of 15 Allium Mark Kane Available in all sorts of colors and sizes, alliums brighten seaside gardens with beautiful blooms in spring and summer. Also called ornamental onions, these bulbs prefer very well-drained soil, so a sandy site is perfect for them. Name: Allium Size: To 5 feet tall (in bloom) Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Zones: 4-9 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit