Plants for Long Island’s Shores

No matter where you are on Long Island the open sea is only 20 minutes away or less.  From the Atlantic Ocean to the Long Island Sound, the Peconic Bay to the Great South Bay, Long Island is surrounded by deep blue waters.  As Long Islanders, we are truly blessed to be able to have our long summer days filled with sand, salt spray, and sunshine.  Whether we are soaking up the rays with friends on a packed field at Jones Beach, or quietly dipping our toes into the calm waters of the Sound, Long Island’s shorelines have something for everyone to enjoy.

Photo: Homes along the Great South Bay, Patchogue

Although the sea may be renewing and refreshing for the human soul, it is a tough and inhospitable place for plants.  Those plants that do grow along the coastline must deal with extremely challenging growing conditions, including high winds and salt. 

Photo: Pines shaped by the elements, Davis Park, Fire Island

Wind increases plant transpiration and water loss and blows abrasive sand onto plants.  Wind can also carry saltwater droplets which may then be deposited on leaf surfaces.  Both aerosol and soil salts can have negative consequences for plants.  Because of its lower osmotic potential, saltwater will draw moisture out of plant roots and leaves, causing an injured plant to display drought-like symptoms including foliar browning and leaf drop.  Tender new leaves of plants within 1,000 feet of the shoreline are the most susceptible to salt spray injury.  Sandy soils with few nutrients and little water-holding ability compound the problem, making the seashore a very harsh growing environment.

Few plants are adapted to such tough conditions, but if you choose wisely, you can still have a lush and beautiful beachfront garden.  Seaside plants must be able to thrive in intense sun and must be salt and drought-tolerant.  Seaside plants must also be able to grow in very well-drained sandy soil with few nutrients and little organic matter.  Plants native to coastlines have naturally evolved under harsh conditions and most often fill these requirements.  Specific adaptations like thick, leathery leaves which help protect from salt spray injury, enable adapted plants to grow along the shoreline.  When planning your beachfront garden, keep in mind that salt-tolerance of plants varies along a continuum, and always place the most salt-tolerant plants closest to shore.  These plants will be the most likely to survive and will help buffer your other plants from wind and salt spray.   

Two underutilized salt-tolerant shrubs that are perfect for Long Island seaside gardens are Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana) and Eastern Baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia).  Virginia Rose is a native rose found from Newfoundland to Virginia and west to Missouri.  In late spring and early summer, it is covered in fragrant, single pink blossoms that have soft yellow centers.  Ornamental rose hips follow the flowers and persist through the winter.  Virginia Rose is salt-tolerant and grows best in full sun in sandy, well-drained soil.  It grows to 4-6 feet tall and wide.  Because it can sucker and spread quickly, Virginia Rose is ideal for covering large areas of coastal gardens, forming beautiful drifts of flowers.  Also, Virginia Rose does not need numerous applications of pesticides because it is highly resistant to the common diseases that plague other roses, such as rust and black spot.  

Photo:  Native Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana) is attractive to pollinators.

Eastern Baccharis is a medium to large, deciduous shrub that is native to the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida, and west to Texas.  Reaching a mature height of 5-12 feet, Eastern Baccharis has a dense, rounded habit.  Although its deep green to gray-green, uniquely-shaped leaves are present throughout the growing season, its main ornamental feature does not become apparent until fall when the cottony fruits appear and transform the plant into a billowly cloud.  Eastern Baccharis grows best in full sun and is highly salt-tolerant.  It is adaptable to many different soil types including pure sand.

Photo: Eastern Baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia) in October.

Photo: Eastern Baccharis along the shoreline of Heckscher State Park, East Islip.

Both Virginia Rose and Eastern Baccharis are native to Long Island’s maritime shrubland habitats which naturally occur behind stabilized back dunes.  Although some distance from the open beach and dunegrass, maritime shrublands are still subject to salt spray and offshore winds.  Just because your home is along the shore doesn’t mean that you can’t have a beautiful garden.  Wisely choosing salt-tolerant plants like Virginia Rose and Eastern Baccharis enable you to create your own seaside garden escape!  For further information, read Seascape Gardening: From New England to the Carolinas by Anne Halpin, Storey Publishing, 2006.  You may even recognize some photos from Long Island!