8 Plants That Will Thrive In A Coastal Climate

For our 2024 Idea House in the Kiawah River community on Johns Island, South Carolina, the natural surroundings proved a generous source of inspiration. This was especially true of the landscape design, notes Scott Parker, the project’s landscape architect and co-founder of Charleston-based DesignWorks. “One of the things that we wanted to do with the landscape and the garden design was really to ground it in the DNA of the Lowcountry,” he says.  That meant tailoring their plant selections to mimic the maritime forest that covers parts of the property, as well as choosing more formal ones to reflect Charleston’s long-standing garden traditions. We spoke to the expert to talk about how to select plants that will thrive – no matter where you reside on the coast,

The waterfront environment was also a deciding factor in the landscape design, as the plants must be sturdy enough to withstand salt air and other such elements. Here are just a few plants chosen that are well-suited for a coastal climate.

Platinum Beauty® Lomandra

This white-edged grass (Lomandra longifolia 'Roma 13') can dwell in sandy soil and is drought tolerant, so it's just right for surviving a hot Southern summer. Plus, it's also suited for poolside containers, like those pictured above. (Find this plant and others through the Southern Living Plant Collection.)

'Little Gem' Dwarf Southern Magnolia

Also known as Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem', this smaller counterpart of the Southern magnolia is moderately salt-tolerant, so it’s a smart choice for channeling the style of the Holy City’s more formal gardens without sacrificing hardiness. 

Star Magnolia 

As with the ‘Little Gem’ magnolia, this flowering tree (Magnolia stellata) can handle a little salt spray, so incorporate it into your landscape wherever you’d like delicate spring blooms and subtle fragrance. 

Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea

These brilliant white blooms (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice') are fine with sandy soil and wind, so they performs well in coastal surroundings. That said, they’re not particularly drought-tolerant so take care to give them plenty of water during dry spells.

Cabbage Palmetto

Because it’s South Carolina’s state tree, Sabal palmetto was a given for the landscape design for our Lowcountry Idea House. Native to the coastal regions of this state, as well as Georgia and Florida, the cabbage palmetto is commonly found in maritime forest environments, like those original to the Kiawah River community’s 2,000-acre parcel. 

Soft Rush

Planted as ground cover, Juncus effusus is a perennial grass that thrives in wetland and marshy areas, so it’s especially well suited for our Idea House’s creekside lot. 

Pink Muhly Grass

For a low-maintenance plant that packs a colorful punch from late summer through early fall and is highly tolerant of heat and salt (two things this part of South Carolina sees a lot of), try Muhlenbergia capillaris. It’s also resistant to pests and deer. 

Purple Lovegrass

This native plant (Eragrostis spectabilis) fares well in sandy soil and can be used fairly interchangeably with Pink Muhly Grass, as it shares some of its characteristics—including its pretty hue. This one turns a welcoming shade of lavender in the summer, eventually becoming an earthy, muted hue as it matures.