Salt-spray-tolerant perennials

Sea-spray-resistant perennials bring colour to coastal gardens, both close to the beach and a little further inland. They tolerate salty air, but not necessarily direct splashes of seawater: choose them according to your garden's exposure to sea winds.

The pink sea thrift, Armeria maritima 'Rosea', forms small cushions topped with pink pompons, perfect for edging and rock gardens. Another coastal plant, the sea holly, Eryngium maritimum, bears silvery-blue flowers and prickly foliage; give it well-drained, sandy soil. An emblematic plant of the dunes, marram grass, Ammophila arenaria, forms large clumps of slender, flexible leaves, whose rhizomes hold the sand in place. A little further inland, common yarrow offers a wide range of colours for sunny beds. Agapanthus unfurl their large blue or white summer umbels.

Also discover our coastal evergreen shrubs to shelter your plants behind a screen, and our Mediterranean perennials for hot, dry areas of the garden. Find more inspiration in our guide "Growing plants by the sea: which perennials should you choose?".