By Jen Jones
The Central Coast, with its diverse climates and microclimates, faces a common challenge: salt exposure. Situated along the coast, many gardens experience salt spray carried by the wind, salt residue in the soil, and, during extreme king tides, saltwater flooding.
While strategies like raised beds and aquaponics can mitigate these issues, selecting salt-tolerant plant species is crucial for gardening success. Here are some plants to consider:
Native Salt-Tolerant Plants:
- Seaside Celery (Apium annuum)
- Pigface (Carpobrotus rossii)
- Ruby Saltbush (Enchylaena tomentosa)
- Warrigal Greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides)
- Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
- Scurvy Weed (Commelina cyanea)
- Quandong (Santalum acuminatum)
- Tea Tree (Leptospermum species)
- Bottlebrush (Callistemon species)
Non-Native Salt-Tolerant Plants:
- Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
- Yucca species
- Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
- Agave species
- Zinnia species
- Hibiscus species
- Bougainvillea species
- Juniper species
- Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana)
Salt-Tolerant Herbs:
- Coastal Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa)
- Other salt-tolerant herbs: Thyme, Lavender, Oregano, Chives, Sage, Feverfew, and Wormwood.
Image by sandid from Pixabay