Perennials for The Oceanfront

Growing plants on an oceanfront is the most challenging task for any gardener. 

The soil in these areas is completely arid. 

crinum lily growing near waterPin
White flower of the crinum lily growing near water | Image – PlantCareToday.com

Moreover, the wind blows constantly and delivers salty, burning sprays, and physical blows, which damages the plants. 

If you have a water-facing garden, it is essential to create a wall to work as a windbreaker in lieu of a natural one. 


Numerous plants will grow near an oceanfront, and these are listed below. 

While they may tolerate the salt and poor salt, the continuously blowing wind might do the damage.

Besides plants, different types of grasses with a tendency to withstand sand, salt, and wind work. 

Plants

Fernleaf Yarrow (Achillea Filipendulina)

The Fernleaf Yarrow plant belongs to the flowering family and is native to Southwestern and Central Asia, including Caucasus, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan. 

Yellow flowering perennial Achillea filipendulina yarrowPin
kassandra2 – DepositPhotos

These plants are also naturalized in different areas of North America and Europe. 

This is a dependable perennial plant, offering outstanding architectural abilities. 

It varies in form and height, from large specimens to ground forming mats. 

These plants have a long-lasting flowering period, which starts from the middle of the summer. 

Deadheading encourages further blooms. 

Silver-king artemisia (Artemisia ludoviciana albula)

This plant belongs to the Asteraceae family and is native to North America. 



This plant grows between 1’ to 3’ feet tall and wide. 

It is mostly grown for its unique foliage, which is magnificently white and provides an excellent contrast to other plants. 

It produces a fragrance when the foliage gets bruised.

Golden Silver (Chrysanthemum pacificum)

The flowering Chrysanthemum plant belongs to the Aster family and is native to Japan. 

It is a showy plant, which produces yellow flowers in late fall.

Pin

It works best for borders and beds and also makes a stunning groundcover. 

Be sure to place it under the full sun for optimal growth, best flower, and foliage color. 

It requires light pruning to maintain its shape and growth. 

Red-hot-poker (Kniphofia Uvaria) 

The Red Hot Poker plant (Kniphofia) belongs to the Asphodelaceae family and is native to South Africa. 

Blooming Red Hot Poker Flower lilyPin
lucidwaters – DepositPhotos

This plant also attracts many pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds. 

It grows about 5’ feet high and produces vibrant flowers. 

Numerous varieties of this plant bloom at different times throughout their growing season. 

These flowers are found in many colors, including yellow, orange, and red. 

Crinums (Crinum spp.)

This is a genus of around 180 different perennial Crinum lily bulbs species in the Amaryllidaceae family. 

Flower of the crinum lily gives an exotic look at the landscapePin
Exotic Crinum flower | Image: PlantCareToday.com

These plants produce vibrant flowers on tall, leafless stems. 

These plants flourish in moist areas and are native to subtropical and tropical parts of the world. 

These are moisture and heat-loving plants. 

Make sure to place this plant in a location where it enjoys the full sun.

Crinum Varieties

Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) 

The flowering Daylily comes from the Hemerocallis genus is an Asphodelaceae family member. 

colorful daylilies yellow gold with a red throatPin
ovjuyandex – DepositPhotos

Many gardeners grow this plant for its distinct and beautiful flowers. 

These plants are ideal for numerous uses in landscapes and gardens. 

The compact varieties are suitable for perennial borders. 

These look stunning in landscape plantings when paired with small shrubs and ornamental grasses. 

Adam’s needle (Yucca filamentosa)

The Yucca filamentosa is a flowering perennial belongs to the family of Asparagaceae and is native to Southeastern America. 

This plant has sword-shaped leaves, which add a distinctive touch to your garden or landscape. 

Blooming Adams needle yucca plantsPin
Group of Yucca Adam’s Needle in flower – lenorlux | DepositPhotos

This evergreen shrub has numerous species. 

The plant produces white flowers, which blooms the best under the full sun. 

It has the ability to grow around 10’ feet tall and 2’ feet wide. 

Lantanas (Lantana spp.)

This is a genus of 150 perennial plants in the family of Verbenaceae. 

The Lantana plant is native to the tropical areas of Africa and America. 

yellow flowered lantana grows well in seaside locationsPin
Yellow flowered lantana does well seaside locations

The care of Lantana plants is easy, and they are popular due to their long blooming period. 

The several species of this plant provide a magnitude of colors, making any garden or landscape vibrant. 

These look stunning in containers and hanging baskets. 

They also attract hummingbirds and butterflies. 

California bush daisy (Euryops chrysanthemoides)

These woody plants belong to the Asteraceae family and are native to Africa. 

This plant grows about 4’ feet tall or more and produces attractive foliage with dark green leaves. 

The plant produces bright yellow flowers throughout the year. 

The Euryops bush daisy looks great when growing in borders, beds, rock gardens, and containers. 

Agapanthus (Agapanthus africanus) 

The flowering Agapanthus plant in the Agapanthus genus belongs in the Amaryllidaceae family and is native to South Africa. 

Blooming Agapanthus planted in landscape Pin
Blooming Agapanthus planted in landscape – Palm Coast, Florida | Image: PlantCareToday.com

It produces beautiful, fragrant clusters of flowers in the summer season.

The spectacular flowers grow on upright stems and strap-shaped, evergreen leaves. 

The foliage remains attractive all year long. 

These look excellent in mixed borders and most of the garden settings.

Blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella)

The flowering Gaillardia plant belongs to the sunflower family and is native to North America. 

Gaillardia Flower aka Blanket FlowerPin
Bees collecting nectar from the Blanket Flower

This is a hardy plant and tolerant of all types of soil. 

However, it loves to grow in sandy soil.

It produces bright flowers during the later summer season. 

Honeybees love this plant as it produces reddish buttery honey. 

It freely self-seeds. Deadheading encourages additional blooms. 

Dusty-miller (Senecio Cineraria)

The perennial Dusty Miller plant comes from the Jacobaea genus belongs to the Asteraceae family and is native to the Mediterranean region. 

Dusty Miller with its silver leaves does well in seaside settingsPin

This plant loves growing under the full sun but also tolerates partial or light shade. 

The plant grows about 12” inches high and is also grown as an annual in cooler regions. 

It is ideal for growing in a mass planting, mixed gardens, and as an edging plant.

Hawaiian hibiscus (Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis)

The flowering Hisbiscus Rosa-sinensis plant in the tribe of Hibisceae belongs to the Malvaceae family. Details on How To Care for a Hibiscus tree.

Red blooms of Hibiscus - proper pruning promotes more flowersPin

Since this plant is cultivated widely in subtropical and tropical areas and not known in the wild, the nativity of this plant is uncertain. 

However, its origin is said to be from tropical Asia. 

It is grown mostly as an ornamental plant. 

This plant needs at least five hours of indirect, bright light in order to bloom. 

It also needs a sufficient amount of water. 

Pruning helps in maintaining the compact size of this plant and encourages additional blooms. 

Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea)

The Society Garlic plant belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and is a native to Southern Africa. 

It has been naturalized in Mexico and Tanzania. 

Blooming society garlic - Tulbaghia violaceaPin
Flowering Society Garlic growing in full sun St Johns Town Center, Jacksonville Florida
Image: PlantCareToday.com

It grows 24” inches high and 10” inches wide. 

This is a clump-forming plant with narrow leaves. 

During the middle of summer, it produces clusters of violet, fragrant flowers. 

These blossoms are about 1” inches tall and wide, and look elegant on top of the long stems. 

Grasses

American beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata) 

This plant is a grass species in the Poaceae family. 

It is native to North America and mostly found growing on sand dunes along the coasts of Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. 

It not only tolerates saltwater spray but also looks beautiful with its showy, long heads. 

This grass grows best in conditions of high winds, sand burial, and shifting sand. 

It helps in forming the sand dunes on the coasts. 

It is often used for stabilization and restoration of sand dunes. 

It is not too vigorous if grown in stable sand. 

It is best to fertilize the grass in its first spring and then feed it nitrogen-rich fertilizer every year. 

Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) 

This ornamental grass belongs in the Poaceae family and is native to Eastern and Central America. 

Previously, this species was categorized as Uniola latifolia.

It forms beautiful and graceful arches, adding an elegant touch to any landscape and garden. 

In North America, this grass is mostly used for landscaping purposes. 

It grows optimally in partial shade. 

This grass is deer-resistant, pest-free, and disease-free, and provides an interesting element to the garden all year long with minimal care. 

Giant dune grass (Elymus racemosus ‘Glaucus’) 

This sand-loving grass species in the Poaceae family is native to Northern Europe and Atlantic coasts. 

It has a high salt tolerance and adapts to different growing conditions easily. 

It has its own unique color, which looks stunning in any type of landscape setting. 

It is a rapidly growing grass and also grows optimally in wooded areas. 

Switch-grass (Panicum virgatum)

This perennial grass is a native to North America. 

This tallgrass is often found growing along roadsides, in grass pastures, and in remnant prairies.

This grass is mostly used for game cover, forge production, soil conservation, and as an ornamental grass. 

It loves to grow in moisture, and its yellow clumps are vibrant all through the year. 

This long-living grass has the ability to grow between 2’ to 5’ feet tall and spreads slowly through its rhizomes. 

It starts growing in the late spring season since it is a warm-season grass. 

It varies in cold tolerance, height, growth, rhizome vigor, and moisture stress sensitivity, depending on its growing location. 

Common reed (Phraomites australis)

This grass is the genus of perennial grasses native to tropical and temperate regions in the world. 

This grass is mostly found growing in freshwater areas, along with disturbed areas, roadsides, and shores of ponds and lakes. 

It requires regular watering during its first week of planting. 

However, be sure to avoid watering the grass during the sunny hours to reduce moisture loss caused by evaporation. 

Touch the top surface of the soil to make sure it is dry before watering. 

If there hasn’t been any rain in a month, water thoroughly.