Botanical Knowledge
Coastal-ready plants for Long Island properties exposed to salt spray, roadside salt, wind, and shoreline stress.
Long Island sites can fail for two separate reasons:
Selecting species for the right stressor is the difference between long-term performance and annual replacement.
Recommended Plants
Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
Evergreen tree
Bloom: Year-round structure
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate; avoid prolonged drought
Soft texture, great for screening; protect from salt spray.
White Pine
Evergreen tree
Bloom: Year-round structure
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Soft needles and tall canopy; avoid high salt exposure.
Inkberry Holly
Evergreen
Bloom: Year-round structure
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate; tolerates moist soils
Native option with good salt tolerance for coastal sites.
Boxwood
Evergreen
Bloom: Spring foliage flush
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate; deep water during drought
Protect from winter wind burn and salt spray.
Blue Fescue
Ornamental grass
Bloom: Summer
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low
Great for modern edging and drought tolerant beds.
Russian Sage
Perennial
Bloom: July - September
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low
Airy texture and drought tolerance; cut back in early spring.
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
Tree
Bloom: Spring catkins
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Handles coastal salt spray better than many birch species.
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Tree
Bloom: Spring
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Salt and urban stress tolerant with strong street-tree performance.
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Evergreen tree
Bloom: Year-round structure
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low to moderate
Tolerates salt spray and coastal wind exposure.
Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Tree
Bloom: Spring flowers / fall color
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Adaptable tree with good roadside salt tolerance.
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)
Evergreen tree
Bloom: Year-round structure
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low to moderate
Native pine for sandy, coastal, and salt-exposed sites.
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Tree
Bloom: Spring catkins
Sun: Full sun
Water: Moderate to high
Fast-growing tree with documented roadside salt tolerance.
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Tree
Bloom: Spring catkins
Sun: Full sun
Water: Moderate
Long-lived canopy tree with tolerance to roadside salt soils.
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Tree
Bloom: Spring catkins
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Large shade tree with good urban and salt tolerance.
Northern Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica)
Shrub
Bloom: Spring
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Low to moderate
Native shrub with strong salt tolerance for exposed coastal edges.
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Shrub
Bloom: April - May
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Salt tolerant native shrub with strong fall color and berries.
Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)
Shrub
Bloom: April - May
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Reliable salt-resilient shrub for roadside and coastal beds.
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Shrub
Bloom: June - August
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate to high
Handles wet conditions and moderate salt exposure.
Saltmarsh Elder (Iva frutescens)
Shrub
Bloom: Late summer
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low to moderate
Very high salt tolerance; ideal near marsh edges and shorelines.
Beach Plum (Prunus maritima)
Shrub
Bloom: April - May
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low to moderate
Native coastal shrub with strong salt tolerance and edible fruit.
Groundsel / Saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia)
Shrub
Bloom: Late summer - fall
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low to moderate
Salt-tolerant shrub suited to difficult coastal sites.
Sumac (Rhus copallinum / glabra / typhina)
Shrub
Bloom: Summer
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low
Hardy, salt-tolerant group for embankments and roadside planting.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Ornamental grass
Bloom: Late summer - fall
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low to moderate
Native grass with good salt tolerance and winter structure.
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Ornamental grass
Bloom: Late summer
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low
Salt tolerant native grass for dry and exposed sites.
Common Rush (Juncus effusus)
Rush
Bloom: Summer
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: High
Handles wetter and intermittently salty soils.
Gray's Sedge (Carex grayi)
Sedge
Bloom: Summer
Sun: Part shade
Water: Moderate to high
Salt-tolerant sedge for low-lying and rain-garden style beds.
Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima)
Perennial
Bloom: Spring - summer
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low
Coastal halophyte with very strong salt tolerance.
Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
Perennial
Bloom: April - June
Sun: Part shade
Water: Moderate
Shade-tolerant perennial with moderate salt tolerance.
Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.)
Perennial
Bloom: Late spring - summer
Sun: Part shade
Water: Moderate
Reliable foliage perennial for shade with moderate salt tolerance.
Related Services
Coordinate plant health with maintenance, irrigation, and lighting plans for year-round performance.
Coastal Plant Guides
