Coastal and Salt Tolerant Plants

Match the plant to your exposure, not your postcode

Start by working out which line of defence your garden sits on. A frontline position takes direct salt spray and near constant wind, and only genuine specialists last there: Coastal Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa), Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia), the prostrate she oak 'Cousin It' and low spreaders like Desert Star carissa. One or two streets back, where buildings and fences break the worst of the wind, the choice widens enormously: Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' builds a 5m screen, olives crop happily, and the Little Gem Magnolia gives a formal 5m column with non-invasive roots. Further back again, salt arrives only on storm winds and nearly everything here will thrive.

The plants advertise their own toughness if you know the clues. Grey or silver foliage, small waxy leaves and fine needle growth all shed salt and hold moisture, which is why westringia, olives, casuarinas and succulents like blue chalk sticks dominate real beachfront plantings around Australia. Large soft leaves usually signal a plant for the second line or further.

Where salt tolerant plants earn their keep

On tropical and subtropical coasts, foxtail palms, evergreen frangipani, Native Gardenia and the Tuckeroo, an 8m shade tree with roots safe near paving, handle humidity and salt together. Warm temperate coasts around Sydney and Perth get the widest choice in the country, from lilly pillies to star jasmine and citrus. On cool southern coasts the wind is cold as well as salty, so lean on the frost hardy core: westringia, Coast Banksia, olives, Snowstorm Melaleuca and fountain grass. On dry Mediterranean coasts around Adelaide and much of Western Australia, olives, rosemary and succulents such as blue chalk sticks hold their looks on very little summer water. One caution with fountain grass: it self seeds and is a declared weed in parts of Western Australia and South Australia, so choose a lomandra there instead.

Planting into sand and wind

Coastal soil is usually sand, which drains instantly and holds few nutrients. Dig compost through the top 30cm of the whole bed rather than just the planting hole, water in with a slow bucket soak, then mulch 75mm deep and keep the mulch off the stems. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer. Wind rock tears new roots before they grip, so stake anything over 1m for its first year, and a temporary shadecloth screen on two star pickets makes a genuine difference to frontline plantings.

• Hedges and screens. Westringia at 70cm apart for a 1.5m hedge, Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' or 'Cascade' at 1m, Little Gem Magnolia and Weeping Lilly Pilly at 1.5m.
• Groundcovers. No Mow Grass at 30cm spacings, blue chalk sticks at 40cm, 'Cousin It' casuarina at 1m, Desert Star carissa at 60cm.
• Trees and windbreaks. Coast Banksia at 3m apart, Tuckeroo at 4m for an avenue or windbreak.
• Walls and fences. Star jasmine or climbing fig at 1m spacings, remembering climbing fig will mark painted render.

Care in salty conditions

After a big blow, hose the foliage down with fresh water; washing the salt off before it burns is the cheapest protection there is. Feed banksias and other Australian native plants with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring, and everything else with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring and late summer. Prune wind burnt tips in early spring once the worst weather has passed, and they will cover quickly. Expect even the specialists to look tired after their first winter and hit their stride in year two.

Common questions

What does salt tolerant actually mean?

Salt tolerant plants cope with salt on their foliage and in the soil water far better than most, but they are not indestructible. Every plant on this page establishes faster with some wind protection in its first season, even the frontline specialists.

Which plants survive direct beachfront exposure?

Westringia, Coast Banksia, 'Cousin It' and Desert Star carissa are the reliable core, with no mow grass and blue chalk sticks at ground level. A useful local test: look at what your council plants in the dunes and streets nearest the water, and choose from the same families.

Can I grow a proper hedge near the sea?

Yes. Westringia clipped from 70cm spacings makes a dense 1.5m hedge on the frontline, and behind that first line of shelter, lilly pillies planted at 1m build taller screens quickly. The full hedging and screening range filters by mature height and position.

What should I plant around a coastal pool?

No Mow Grass is the standout poolside groundcover, with westringia, liriope and Little Gem magnolia close behind, all tidy plants that cope with splash and reflected heat. Keep seed dropping grasses a few metres back from the waterline to spare the filter.

How does delivery work?

Everything here is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock, including mature olive trees, is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.