Seaside conditions can be very challenging for plants.  Winds are often much stronger than inland and they also carry salt-spray that can be deposited on plants.  This is particularly a problem for the first 300 metres from the sea but the spray can spread as far as six miles inland.  At the same time, the soil is often very poor and light making it lacking in nutrients and far too free-draining in summer.  However, seaside conditions can also be a positive benefit.  2-3ºC of frost protection is common in winter, the coastal strip often escapes from cloud that builds up inland and when the sun shines, light is reflected off the surface of the sea making it much brighter than it would otherwise be.  This combination of brighter and warmer conditions and well-drained soil make it possible for plants to come into growth much earlier and continue growing for longer.

Only tough plants adapted to these conditions will survive, but the good news is that most of these plants need minimal maintenance.  Seaside plants have naturally adapted to cope with these conditions and many make attractive garden plants for example, Armeria maritima ‘Splendens’ (sea thrift) and Daucus carota (sea carrot).  Plants that have a waxy cuticle on the surface of their leaves are also ideally adapted to coastal environments, as the salt spray cannot get a hold on the slippery surface.  These include Centranthus ruber coccineus (valerian), Euphorbia characias wulfenii (Mediterranean spurge) and Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’ (ice plant).  Silvery leaves can cope with both salt-spray and intense sunlight becauset the silver effect is actually a coating of fine hairs on the surface of the leaves that traps the salt and keeps it off the surface, as well as reflecting back the high light levels.  Examples include Brachyglottis Dunedin Group ‘Sunshine’ (daisy bush), Lavandula angustifolia ‘Twickle Purple’ (English lavender) and Stachys byzantina (lamb’s tongue).  Some plants have rough, hairy or sticky leaves that work in the same way, trapping salt away from the surface as occurs with Alchemilla mollis (lady’s mantle), Osteospermum ‘Lady Leitrim’ (Swan River daisy) and Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Tuscan Blue’ (rosemary).  Glossy leaves also shed salt spray as the water droplets coalesce and roll off the surface and they also reflect back the sunlight, making them well adapted to hot, bright spots.  Examples include Astrantia major (masterwort), , Euonymus japonicus ‘Duc d’Anjou Carriere’ (Japanese spindle) and Geranium palmatum (Canary island cranesbill).  Wind causes physical damage by abrasion and can shred larger leaves but plants with sword-shaped or thin leaves provide less wind resistance and many have tough fibres that run lengthways, making them much stronger.  These include Carex testacea (brick-coloured sedge), Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’ (dwarf pampas grass), Iris sibirica ‘Silver Edge’ (Siberian iris) and Stipa gigantea (Spanish oats).  Small leaves also offer less resistance to the wind, as do leaves that are finely divided and allow the wind to travel through them.  Examples include Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’ (lace flower), Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican daisy), Thalictrum delavayi (Chinese meadow rue) and Verbena bonariensis (purple top).  Plants that hug the ground can often avoid the worst effects of strong winds as taller plants act as shelter belts for example, Carpobrotus edulis (hottentot fig) and Erigeron glaucus (beach aster).

The following plants are hardy and should do well in coastal gardens in the Southwest, although if you have any unusual climactic or soil conditions please check with us first.  Plants suitable for gardens located right on the seashore are listed seperately at the end of the document.  Many of these plants were used in our silver medal winning display at the 2006 Axe Vale Festival (above).

Plants for seaside gardens

Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’   2 litre - £4

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’   2 litre - £5

Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’   2 litre - £4

Ajuga reptans ‘Atropurpurea’   1 litre - £2.50

Alchemilla mollis   1 litre - £2.50

Allium schoenoprasum   1 litre - £2.50

Aloysia triphylla   1 litre - £2.50

Ampelodesmos mauritanica   3 litre - £5

Anaphalis triplinervis   2 litre - £4

Anemanthele lessoniana   3 litre - £5

Angelica archangelica   1 litre - £2.50

Anomatheca laxa   1 litre - £2.50

Anthemis punctata cupiana   2 litre - £4

Anthemis tinctoria ‘EC Buxton’   2 litre - £4

Armeria ‘Joystick Series’   1 litre - £2.50

Armeria maritima ‘Splendens’   1 litre - £2.50

Armeria pseudarmeria   1 litre - £2.50

Artemisia abrotanum   1 litre - £2.50

Artemisia dracunculus   1 litre - £2.50

Aster divaricatus   2 litre - £4

Artemsia dracunculus   1 litre - £2.50

Artemisia stelleriana ‘Boughton Silver’   1L-£2.50

Aster ‘Coombe Fishacre’   2 litre - £4

Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’   2 litre - £4

Aster ‘Hortus’   2 litre - £4

Aster lateriflorus ‘Bucks Fizz’   2 litre - £4

Aster lateriflorus ‘Prince’   2 litre - £4

Aster ‘Little Carlow’   2 litre - £4

Aster novi-belgii ‘Algar’s Pride’   2 litre - £4

Astrantia major   2 litre - £4

Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’   3 litre - £5

Briza maxima   9 cm - £1

Briza media   1 litre - £2.50

Buddleja davidii nanhoensis   3 litre - £5

Buddleja davidii ‘Royal Red’   3 litre - £5

Buddleja davidii ‘White Cloud’   3 litre - £5

Buddleja ‘Lochinch’   3 litre - £5

Buddleja x weyeriana ‘Sungold’   3 litre - £5

Calamagrostis x acutifolia ‘Overdam’   2 litre - £4

Calamagrostis brachytricha   2 litre - £4

Campanula persicifolia   2 litre - £4

Campanula persicifolia alba   2 litre - £4

Campanula takesimana  ‘Elizabeth’  2 litre - £4

Carex buchananii   1 litre - £2.50

Carex dipsacea   1 litre - £2.50

Carex flagellifera   1 litre - £2.50

Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’   1 litre - £2.50

Carex testacea   1 litre - £2.50

Carex trifida   2 litre - £4

Carprobotus edulis   2 litre - £4

Carum carvi   1 litre - £2.50

Cenolophium denudatum   3 litre - £5

Centranthus ruber ‘Albus’   2 litre - £3.50

Centranthus ruber coccineus   2 litre - £3.50

Chamaemelum nobile ‘Treneague’   1 litre - £2.50

Chasmanthium latifolium   2 litre - £4

Chionochloa flavicans   2 litre - £4

Chionochloa conspicua   2 litre - £4

Cicyorium intybus   3 litre - £5

Convolvulus sabatius   1 litre - £2.50

Cortaderia fulvida   3 litre - £6

Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’   3 litre - £5

Cortaderia selloana ‘Aureolineata’   3 litre - £5

Cyperus ‘Chira’   2 litre - £4

Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’   2 litre - £3.50

Daucus carota   2 litre - £3.50

Deschampsia cespitosa   2 litre - £4

Dianthus barbatus Nigrescens Group   2L-£3.50

Dianthus deltoides ‘Leuchtfunk’   1 litre - £2.50

Dicentra formosa   2 litre - £4

Dierama pulcherrimum   3 litre - £5

Digitalis purpurea albiflora   2 litre - £3.50

Echium candicans   2 litre - £4

Eragrostis curvula   2 litre - £4

Eragrostis spectabilis   2 litre - £4

Erigeron glaucus   1 litre - £2.50

Erigeron karvinskianus   1 litre - £2.50

Erodium manescaui   2 litre - £4

Erodium reichardii ‘Album’   1 litre - £2.50

Erodium trifolium   2 litre - £4

Erodium x variabile ‘Bishop’s Form’  1 litre - £2.50

Eryngium agavifolium   3 litre - £5

Eryngium bourgatii   2 litre - £4

Eryngium giganteum   2 litre - £3.50

Eryngium planum   2 litre - £4

Eryngium variifolium   2 litre - £4

Euonymus japonicus ‘Duc d’Anjou Carriere’  3 litre - £5

Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’   1 litre - £2.50

Euphorbia amygdaloides robbiae   1 litre - £2.50

Euphorbia characias wulfenii   3 litre - £5

Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’   3 litre - £5

Euphorbia x martini   3 litre - £5

Euphorbia mellifera   3 litre - £5

Euphorbia palustris ‘Zauberflote’   3 litre - £5

Euphorbia sikkimensis   3 litre - £5

Euryops pectinatus   3 litre - £5

Festuca glauca   1 litre - £2.50

Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’   1 litre - £2.50

Fuchsia ‘Mrs Popple’   3 litre - £5

Fuchsia paniculata   2 litre - £4

Fuchsia ‘Thalia’   2 litre - £4

Gazania ‘Sunset Jane’   1 litre - £2.50

Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Album’   1 litre - £2.50

Geranium macro. ‘Bevan’s Variety’   1 litre - £2.50

Geranium nodosum   1 litre - £2.50

Geranium x oxonianum ‘Claridge Druce’  1 litre - £2.50

Geranium x oxonianum ‘Rosenlicht’   1 litre - £2.50

Geranium x oxonianum ‘Wargrave Pink’   1 litre - £2.50

Geranium x oxonianum ‘Winscombe’   1 litre - £2.50

Geranium palmatum   3 litre - £5

Geranium pratense   3 litre - £5

Geranium psilostemon   3 litre - £5

Geranium pyrenaicum ‘Bill Wallis’   1 litre - £3

Geranium x riversleaianum ‘Russell Prichard’   1 litre - £3

Geum ‘Mrs J Bradshaw’   2 litre - £4

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’   1 litre - £3

Hordeum jubatum   1 litre - £2.50

Hyssopus officinalis aristatus   1 litre - £2.50

Hyssopus officinalis ‘Roseus’   1 litre - £2.50

Hypericum ‘Hidcote’   3 litre - £5

Hypericum olympicum   1 litre - £2.50

Hystrix patula   2 litre - £4

Iberis gibraltarica ‘Betty Swainson’   2 litre - £4

Iris sibirica ‘Silver Edge’   3 litre - £5

Lagurus ovatus   9 cm - £1

Lathyrus odoratus ‘Cupani’   3 litre - £3

Laurus nobilis   1 litre - £2.50

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Twickel Purple’   1 litre - £2.50

Lavandula x chaytoreae  ‘Sawyers’   1 litre - £2.50

Lavandula x heterophylla Gaston Allard  1 litre - £2.50

Lavandula x intermedia ‘Abrialii’   1 litre - £2.50

Lavateria maritima   3 litre - £5

Levistichum officinale   1 litre - £2.50

Leymus racemosus   2 litre - £4

Libertia grandiflora   3 litre - £5

Limnanthes douglasii    9 cm – £1

Limonium platyphyllum   2 litre - £4

Lonicera nitida ‘Baggescen’s Gold’   3 litre - £5

Luzula nivea   2 litre - £4

Luzula sylvatica ‘Aurea’   2 litre - £4

Lychnis coronaria   2 litre - £3.50

Lychnis coronaria ‘Alba  2 litre - £3.50

Lychnis flos-cuculi   1 litre - £2.50

Lychnis viscaria   1 litre – £2.50

Lysimachia ciliata ‘Firecracker’   1 litre - £3

Melissa officinalis   1 litre - £2.50

Mentha x piperita   1 litre - £2.50

Mentha x piperita citrata ‘Basil’   1 litre - £2.50

Mentha x piperita citrata ‘Lime’   1 litre - £2.50

Mentha spicata   1 litre - £2.50

Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’   1 litre - £2.50

Mentha villosa alopecuroides   1 litre - £2.50

Millium effusum ‘Aureum’   1 litre - £2.50

Miscanthus sinensis   3 litre - £5

Miscanthus sinensis condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’   3 litre - £5

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’  3 litre - £5

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Nippon’   3 litre - £5

Nassella trichotoma   1 litre - £2.50

Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’   2 litre - £4

Oenothera macrocarpa   1 litre - £2.50

Oenothera fruticosa glauca   2 litre - £3

Oenothera speciosa ‘Siskyou’   1 litre - £3

Oenothera stricta   2 litre - £3.50

Olearia macrodonta   3 litre - £5

Olearia phlogopappa   3 litre - £5

Olearia traversii   3 litre - £5

Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’   1 litre - £3

Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen’   1 litre - £3

Origanum vulgare   1 litre - £2.50

Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum’   1 litre - £2.50

Osteospermum ‘Lady Leitrim’   1 litre - £2.50

Papaver rupifragum   2 litre - £4

Paspalum quadrifarium   3 litre - £5

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’   2 litre - £4.50

Pennisetum macrourum   2 litre - £4

Pennisetum orientale ‘Tall Tails’  2 litre - £4.50

Pennisetum villosum   2 litre - £4

Penstemon ‘Alice Hindley’   2 litre - £4

Penstemon ‘Andenken an Friedrich Hahn’  2 litre - £4

Penstemon ‘Burgundy’   2 litre - £4

Penstemon ‘Hidcote Pink’   2 litre - £4

Penstemon ‘King George V’   2 litre - £4

Penstemon ‘Purple Bedder’   2 litre - £4

Penstemon ‘White Bedder’   2 litre - £4

Phlomis fruticosa   3 litre - £5

Phlomis italica   3 litre - £5

Phlomis russeliana   3 litre - £5

Phlox maculata ‘Alpha’   2 litre - £3

Phlox paniculata ‘Eden’s Crush’   3 litre - £5

Phlox paniculata ‘Franz Schubert’   3 litre - £5

Phlox paniculata ‘White Admiral’   3 litre - £5

Phuopsis stylosa   1 litre - £2.50

Phygelius x rectus ‘African Queen’   3 litre - £5

Phygelius x rectus ‘Moonraker’   3 litre - £5

Pilosella aurantiaca   2 litre - £3.50

Primula denticulata   1 litre - £2.50

Primula denticulata ‘Rubin’   1 litre - £2.50

Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Tuscan Blue’   1 litre - £2.50

Rudbeckia fulgida sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’   2 litre - £4

Rudbeckia hirta   2 litre - £2.50

Salvia leucantha   2 litre - £4

Salvia microphylla   2 litre - £4

Salvia officinalis ‘Icterina’   1 litre - £2.50

Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurescens’   1 litre - £2.50

Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’   2 litre - £4

Sedum ‘Matrona’   2 litre - £4

Sedum spectabile   2 litre - £4

Silene schafta   1 litre - £2.50

Silene uniflora ‘Druett’s Variegated’   1 litre - £2.50

Sisyrinchium striatum   2 litre - £3.50

x Solidaster luteus ‘Lemore’   2 litre - £4

Stachys byzantina   2 litre - £4

Stipa calamagrostis   2 litre - £4

Stipa gigantea   3 litre - £5

Stipa lessingiana   2 litre - £4

Stipa tenuissima   1 litre - £2.50

Tellima grandiflora   1 litre - £2.50

Thalictrum delavayi   3 litre - £5

Thalictrum delavayi ‘Album’   3 litre - £5

Thalictrum flavum glaucum   3 litre - £5

Tibouchina urvilleana   2 litre - £4

Thymus pulegiodes   1 litre - £2.50

Thymus vulgaris ‘Silver Posie’   1 litre - £2.50

Uncinia rubra   1 litre - £3

Verbena bonariensis   2 litre - £4

Verbena corymbosa ‘Gravetye’   2 litre - £4

Verbena ‘Silver Anne’   2 litre - £4

Viburnum tinus ‘Gwenllian’   3 litre - £5

Weigela Florida Variegata   3 litre - £5

Plants for seafront gardens

Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’   2 litre - £4

Ajuga reptans ‘Atropurpurea’   1 litre - £2.50

Armeria maritima ‘Splendens’   1 litre - £2.50

Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’   1 litre - £2.50

Carex testacea   1 litre - £2.50

Centranthus ruber    2 litre - £3.50

Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’   3 litre - £5

Daucus carota   2 litre - £3.50

Dierama pulcherrimum   3 litre - £5

Erigeron glaucus   1 litre - £2.50

Erigeron karvinskianus   1 litre - £2.50

Eryngium variifolium   2 litre - £4

Euonymus japonicus ‘Duc d’Anjou Carriere’  3 litre - £5

Euphorbia characias wulfenii   3 litre - £5

Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’   1 litre - £2.50

Fuchsia ‘Mrs Popple’   3 litre - £5

Hyssopus officinalis aristatus   1 litre - £2.50

Laurus nobilis   1 litre - £2.50

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Twickel Purple’   1 litre - £2.50

Limonium platyphyllum   2 litre - £4

Lychnis flos-cuculi   1 litre - £2.50

Miscanthus sinensis   3 litre - £5

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’  3 litre - £5

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Nippon’   3 litre - £5

Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’   2 litre - £4

Oenothera stricta   2 litre - £3.50

Olearia macrodonta   3 litre - £5

Olearia traversii   3 litre - £5

Origanum vulgare   1 litre - £2.50

Osteospermum ‘Lady Leitrim’   1 litre - £2.50

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’   2 litre - £4.50

Phlomis fruticosa   3 litre - £5

Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Tuscan Blue’  1 litre - £2.50

Rudbeckia fulgida sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’   2 litre - £4

Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurescens’   1 litre - £2.50

Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’   2 litre - £4

Sedum ‘Matrona’   2 litre - £4

Stachys byzantina   2 litre - £4