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Beach Lover's Plant Guide: Salt Tolerant Plants

Jul 22
2 min read

When planning a garden in Charleston, you have many factors to consider! One overlooked environmental condition is how salt exposure can impact your landscape. Home gardeners near the water need to keep in mind how salt will interact and influence the health of your garden. You can enjoy beautiful views of the ocean, river, or marsh, but the plants in your yard will need to be able to tolerate the soil's salinity. Wether you're planting by the beach on Sullivans Island or near the Ashley River, consider adding some of these salt tolerant plants to your garden!


Gaillardia or blanket flower is a prolific beachside bloom. This herbaceous perennial brings bold color spring to fall and thrives in full sun and sandy soil.


Yucca filamentosa is a go-to low maintenance and drought tolerant option that loves our hot sun! Yucca is evergreen, adds interesting texture to a space, and seamlessly blends with a coastal garden.


Muhlenbergia capillaris or muhly grass provides late season color and thrives in the Lowcountry landscape. This clumping, showy perennial is also tolerant of drought and occasional flooding and thrives in full sun.


Hibiscus coccineus or scarlet rose mallow is a wonderful addition to your marshy backyard. The striking leaves and deep pink color make a statement in your sunny garden, tolerating flooding and wet soil.


Morella cerifera or wax myrtle prefers sun to part shade and is tolerant of both drought and occasional flooding here in Charleston. This large, evergreen shrub is great for borders and hedges in your garden.


Sabal minor or dwarf palmetto is a slow growing evergreen shrub thriving in full sun to part shade in various soil conditions. It's tolerant of drought once established and does well in moist areas.


Magnolia virginiana or sweet bay magnolia thrives in wetlands and swamps around the Charleston area. This small tree needs full to part sun and works as a specimen tree or lining ponds and streams.


Nerium oleander and Podocarpus macrophyllus are not native like the other options on this list but they perform well in Charleston while tolerating heat, drought, and of course... salt!


  • Close up of Myrica 'Wax Myrtle' Tree with glossy green foliage. Native wax myrtle sold in 3 gallon pots at Meeting Green in Charleston, SC.
  • Gaillardia blooms with a yellow and dark red center, red petals with yellow tips, and bright green leaves. Blanket flower is a salt tolerant perennial pollinator plant that blooms through the summer. 1 gallon blanket flower varieties sold at Meeting Green in Charleston, SC.
  • Yucca color guard in a 3 gallon black pot on a brick patio. Yucca with yellow leaves, lined in dark green. Drought tolerant, salt tolerant, and a great addition to a coastal garden. Sold at Meeting Green in Charleston, SC.
  • Leaves of hibiscus coccineus or scarlet rose mallow. The leaves are green and deeply divided in a palmetto arrangement. Sold in 1 gallon pots at Meeting Green.
  • Oleander with bright white blooms and dark green foliage and stems, Oleander is drought and salt tolerant and grows wells in Charleston. Sold in white and pink at Meeting Green.

Find more plant suggestions and resources on Clemson Extension's salt tolerant factsheet!



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