Salt Tolerant Gardening

Salt Tolerant Plants

Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me with her wonderful array of plants that can take any gardening condition you have. As gardeners we have certain conditions we have to fulfill or gardens we want to do. No matter what the condition or specific 

Bottlebrush

garden we want to design Mother Nature has got you covered. You want to attract wildlife to your garden such as hummingbirds, butterflies, or birds Mother Nature has you covered. You have other climatic conditions such as plants that tolerate drought, or salt, or both. She has you covered and the really neat aspect to Mother Nature is that most of the time the plants will fill more than one category you are trying to design for such as designing a butterfly garden. A few butterfly plants will also attract hummingbirds, too.

Gardening along ocean front property or near the ocean can be very challenging, but also very rewarding. To do this all the gardener needs to do is select plants that can tolerate sea-side conditions and tolerate saline conditions.

Frangipani

The benefits of gardening are: Plants clean the air by removing pollutants and providing us with fresh air; Plants provide oxygen; Plants cool the streets and the 

Geiger Tree

cities; Plants encourage people to healthy lifestyles such as walking, jogging, biking, or going to parks; Plants raise property values; Plants provide food for humans, birds, and wildlife; Plants heal. Studies show people heal faster with green ambience outside their windows.

Salt tolerance or saline conditions describes whether or not a plant can withstand saline conditions, salt spray, or both. Salt tolerant plants are exposed to salt spray, windy conditions, saline soils and water.There are three general conditions: 1)"Yes" indicates plants can withstand saline conditions, salt spray, salt drift, exposed coastal areas, and areas with saline irrigation water; 2)"Moderate" indicates the plant can withstand some saline conditions but should be protected from direct salt spray; and 3)"No" indicates the plant should be well-protected from saline conditions and salt spray.

Established is a plant growing in the garden for a year or more. Plants need to be established in the garden before any additional care is needed. The gardener would follow traditional rules of gardening seaside as to gardening away from the ocean and salt spray. Watering Guidelines: water newly transplanted plants 3 times a week in the spring and summer months; during the fall and winter months 2 times a week for a year.

Lignum Vitae

Let’s explore salt tolerant plants. To help in the design process the plants being discussed are divided into trees, palms, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers and vines.

Highly Salt tolerant Trees 

Aleppo Pine: Pinus halepensis - Height: 30-60’. Width: 10-15’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Bottle Brush: Callistemon lanceolatus – Height: 20-25’. Width: 10-15’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Buttonwood: Conocarpus erectus – Height: 25-30’. Width: 25-30’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Devilwood: Osmanthus americanus – Height: 15-25’. Width: 10-20’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Frangipani – Plumeria spp. - Height: 20-25’. Width: 15-25’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Deciduous.

Geiger Tree: Cordia sebestena – Height: 25-30’. Width: 20-25’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.  

Japanese Black Pine: Pinus thunbergii – Height: 20-60’. Width: 12-20’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Lignum Vitae: Guaiacum sanctum - Height: 25-30’. Width: 20-25’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Live Oak: Quercus virginiana – Height: 40-60’. Width: 60-80’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Mahogany: Swietenia mahagoni - Height: 40-60’. Width: 40-60’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Ochrosia: Ochrosia elliptica - Height: 20-25’. Width: 15-25’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.
 

Ochrosia

Red Bay: Persea borbonia – Height: 30-50’. Width: 30-50’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Sand Pine: Pinus clausa – Height: 25-40’. Width: 15-25’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Wax Myrtle: Morella cerifera (Myrica cerifera) – Height: 10-20’. Width:10-20’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Yaupon: Ilex vomitoria - Height: 15-20’. Width: 10-15’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Highly Salt tolerant Palms

Blue Latan Palm: Latania loddigesii – Height: 30-35’. Width: 15’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Bottle Palm: Hyophorbe lagenicaulis – Height: 12-15’. Width: 10-15’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Canary Island Date Palm: Phoenix canariensis – Height: 40-60’. Width: 30-40’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Coconut Palm: Cocos nucifera – Height: 60-80’. Width: 25-35’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.  

Coconut Palm

Key Thatch Palm: Leucothrinax morrisii (Thrinax morrisii) – Height: 15-25’. Width: 8-10’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Sabal Palm, Cabbage Palm: Sabal palmetto – Height: 40-60’. Width: 15-20’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Saw Palmetto: Serenoa repens - Height: 8-10’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Silver Palm: Coccothrinax argentata – Height: 15-20’. Width: 15-20’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Washington Palm: Washingtonia robusta – Height: 80-100’. Width: 25-35’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Highly Salt tolerant Shrubs

Century Plant: Agave Americana – Height: 5-7’. Width: 8-12’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Cocoplum: Chrysobalanus icaco – Height: To 15’. Width: 5-7’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Dwarf Myrtle: Myrtus communis – Height: 8-10’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Dwarf Oleander: Nerium oleander ‘Petite Salmon’ – Height: 4-5’. Width: 3-5’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.  

Dwarf Oleander

Dwarf Pittosporum: Pittosporum tobira ‘Wheeler's Dwarf’- Height: 3-4’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Dwarf Rosemary, Prostrate Rosemary: Salvia rosmarinus (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’) – Height: 2’. Width: 18-24”. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Dwarf Yaupon Holly: Ilex vomitoria ‘Schellings Dwarf’- Height: 2-4’. Width: 3-5’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen. Varieties: Nana and Bordeaux are included.

Ebbingei's Silverberry: Elaeagnus X ebbingei – Height: 10-15’. Width: 10-15’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Fruitland Elaeagnus: Elaeagnus pungens ‘Fruitlandii’ - Height: 10-15’. Width: 10-15’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Indian Hawthorn: Rhaphiolepis indica – Height: 3-4’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Indian Hawthorn

Inkberry: Scaevola plumieri – Height: 4-6’. Width: 4-8’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Japanese Pittosporum: Pittosporum tobira – Height: 8-10’. Width: 6-8’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Lantana: Lantana camara – Height: 3-6’. Width: 4-6’. Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen to deciduous depending on zone.

Natal Plum: Carissa macrocarpa – Height: To 10’. Width: 5-7’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Oleander: Nerium oleander – Height: To 20’. Width: 10-15’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Rosemary: Salvia rosmarinus (Rosmarinus officinalis) – Height: 3-6’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Spanish Bayonet: Yucca aloifolia – Height: To 15’. Width: 4-8’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Evergreen.

Spanish Bayon

Variegated Pittosporum: Pittosporum tobira ‘Variegatum’ – Height: 4-6’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Evergreen.

Highly Salt tolerant Perennials

Baby Sun Rose: Aptenia cordifolia (Mesembryanthemum cordifolium) - Height: 6”. Width: 18-24”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Beach Sunflower: Helianthus debilis – Height: 12-24”. Width: 24-36”. Light Requirements: Full sun.

Blue Daze: Evolvulus glomeratus – Height: 10-12”. Width: 12-18”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Day Lily: Hemerocallis sp. – Height: 1-4’. Width: 15-24”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Gaillardia, Indian Blanket: Gaillardia pulchella – Height: 12-18”. Width: 12-18”. Light Requirements: Full sun.

Gazania Daisy: Gazania rigens var. leucolaena – Height: 12-18”. Width: 12”. Light Requirements: Full sun. 

Gazania Daisy

Golden Shrub Daisy: Euryops pectinatus ‘Viridis’ – Height: 4-6’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Lance-leaved Coreopsis: Coreopsis lanceolata – Height: 18-36”. Width: 18-24”. Light Requirements: Full sun.

Madagascar Periwinkle: Catharanthus roseus – Height: 10-12”. Width: 10-12”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Periwinkle

Portulaca, Moss Rose: Portulaca grandiflora – Height: 4-6”. Width: 12”. Light Requirements: Full sun.

Sea Oxeye Daisy: Borrichia frutescens - Height: 2-4’. Width: 18-24”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Silver Sea Oxeye Daisy: Borrichia arborescens – Height: 2-4’. Width: 18-24”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Highly Salt tolerant Groundcovers

Blue Pacific Shore Juniper: Juniperus conferta ‘Blue Pacific’ – Height: 12-18”. Width: 3-4’. Light Requirements: Full sun.

Creeping Lily Turf: Liriope spicata – Height: 12”. Width: 12-18”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Creeping Lily Turf

Dwarf Rosemary, Prostrate Rosemary: Salvia rosmarinus (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’) – Height: 12-18”. Width: 18-24”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Mondo Grass, Monkey Grass: Ophiopogon japonicus – Height: 12”. Width: 12-24”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Star Jasmine, Confederate Jasmine: Trachelospermum jasminoides – Height: Variable. Width: 24-36”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Trailing Lantana: Lantana montevidensis – Height: 12-24”. Width: 24-36”. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Highly Salt tolerant Vines

Bougainvillea: Bougainvillea spectabilis – Height: Variable. Width: 36-48”. Light Requirements: Full sun.

Cape Honeysuckle: Tecoma capensis (Tecomaria capensis) – Height: To 20’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun.  

Cape Honeysuckle

Palay Rubber Vine: Cryptostegia grandiflora – Height: To 20’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun.

Flame Vine: Pyrostegia venusta (P. ignea) - Height: To 20’. Width: 4-6’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Flowering Jasmine: Chrysojasminum floridum (Jasminum floridum) Height: 5’. Width: 3-5’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.

Photography and digital images are ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2020. All Rights Reserved. All photographs and digital images displayed in this article are for viewing purposes only and cannot be duplicated. ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2013. Texas Certified Nursery Professional #1282.