Plants For Coastal Strand

Abronia latifolia Yellow Sand Verbena
A flat to mounding nearly non-frost tolerant perennial that will 'disappear' to the roots under stress. According to Parsons "The stout root . . . is sometimes eaten by the Indians." The flowers are ... Learn more.

Abronia maritima Sand verbena
A flat nearly non-frost tolerant perennial that will \'disappear\' to the roots under stress. The flowers are pink and it grows in the sand along the immediate coast.. The soil must be fairly lose an... Learn more.

Abronia umbellata Purple Sand Verbena
Beach Sand Verbena is a prostrate perennial, with slightly succulent leaves, and attractive rose colored flowers with white centers. It makes a good ground cover for undisturbed sandy coastal areas. I... Learn more.

Achillea millefolium arenicola
A perennial that grows right next to the ocean, on bluffs or the coastal sand spits. The consistent variable seems to be the sea Salt spray keeps the plants a low 1 inch tall. The flowers rise 2 inch... Learn more.

Achillea millefolium californica Yarrow
(Achillea borealis ssp. californica (Munz)) Western Yarrow, A perennial that spreads by rhizomes. It varies by locale from 1-4'. The cream-colored (off-white?) flowers are in 3- 4"clusters. It's nati... Learn more.

Achillea millefolium rosea Island Pink Pink Yarrow
(Achillea borealis ssp. californica (Munz)) Island Pink. Yarrow is a perennial that spreads by rhizomes. It varies by locale from one to four feet. Some plants of each population will have 3- 4"clu... Learn more.

Artemisia californica California Sagebrush
California sagebrush is an evergray shrub, three to four foot high. This sage brush is native to much of central and southern California and is part of the 'sage' in coastal sage scrub. Artemisia cal... Learn more.

Artemisia pycnocephala Sandhill Sage
Perennial-shrub, 2ft silver mound, the softest plant I have ever seen, good looking for a couple of years then becomes a fire hazard if it is out of the salt spray, nice for quick fill where ceanothus... Learn more.

Artemisia pycnocephala Davids Choice Beach Sanwort
It was hardy to 0 f. here planted in an unprotected site .This one seems to be a different animal than the straight species. We were rather disgusted with Artemisia pycnocephala and had discontinued i... Learn more.

Astragalus nuttallii Nuttall's Milkvetch
Nuttall's Milkvetch grows on coastal bluffs and along the coastal strand. If the conditions are harsh with salt spray or drought they will be soft, fuzzy gray. If the conditions are easy and life good... Learn more.

Atriplex californica Saltbush
A gray perennial, with scurfy leaves, prostrate, spreading , good as groundcover, in sandy, coastal areas, at seaside, flowers insignificant, birds and small mammals eat seeds and foliage, also useful... Learn more.

Atriplex canescens Four-wing Salt Bush
Four-wing Salt Bush is an evergray shrub that grows to 5ft. Native to dry areas, western U.S.. Needs full sun. It becomes very drought tolerant after a few good waterings. The whole plant is edible (y... Learn more.

Atriplex watsonii Watson's saltbush
Beaches, usually within 100 ft. of the surf, flat gray ground cover, full sun, little water after est., sandy soil. This plant cannot tolerate frost. We'd have to contract grow it if you have a site ... Learn more.

Baccharis pilularis pilularis Pigeon Point Dwarf Coyote Brush
Baccharis Pigeon Point' grows into a one foot tall by twelve foot wide dark-green groundcover. This is the preferred form of Dwarf Coyote Brush for slope stabilization and landscaping in almost all... Learn more.

Baccharis pilularis pilularis Santa Ana Dwarf Bachharis
As with 'Pigeon Point' but more of a mounder that seems to grow to only 6' across and 1' tall. Its leaves are like 'Twin Peaks'. Baccharis species are the nectary sources for most of the predatory was... Learn more.

Baccharis pilularis pilularis Twin Peaks Dwarf Coyote Brush
Native along coast from Sonoma to Monterey Co. A very adaptable groundcover. Near coast,1 ft. high 10 ft. wide, small leaves, evergreen. As you go inland the plant changes into a shrub. The leaves ge... Learn more.

Batis maritima Beachwort
dioecious shrub, with fleshy leaves and insignificant flowers, coastal salt marsh inhabitant, grows on the southern coast of California, to southeastern U.S., the Caribbean, Hawaii, and northern Sout... Learn more.

Calandrinia maritima Seaside Calandrina
glaucous, annual, with fleshy leaves and red-purple flowers, sandy areas, and sea bluffs, ., uncommon. SCo, ChI, Baja. Dies and shrivels after flowering, noticeable in the spring when flowering. A com... Learn more.

Camissonia cheiranthifolia cheiranthifolia Beach Evening Primrose
A perennial that lives in the dunes next to the ocean from Santa Barbara north into Oregon. 1" yellow flowers. It has very limited uses unless you're trying to restore a sand dune or plant a temparar... Learn more.

Camissonia cheiranthifolia ssp. suffruticosa Beach Evening Primrose
A perennial that lives next to the ocean. The same 1inch yellow flowers , Camissonia cheiranthifolia ssp. suffruticosa Grows on the coastal strand from Santa Barbara south to Baja. The foliage appe... Learn more.

Camissonia lewisii Lewis Evening Primrose
Annual, villous (with long, soft hairs), with small yellow flowers, not showy, rare, leaves arranged in a rosette, plant very low-growing, grows in coastal areas, sandy or clay, best for restoration, ... Learn more.

Cardionema ramosissimum Sand Mat
Sand Mat is a somewhat prostrate, herbaceous, tufted, spiny perennial, with minute scalelike flowers. It grows in sandy areas along the coast. The foliage appears white. Sand Mat likes full sun, seas... Learn more.

Carex pansa
A very small creeping dune plant. Leaves making little tufts where it is happy. The happier the plant, the bigger the lawn. Needs near beach sand. The only time I've ever seen it look like something t... Learn more.

Carex praegracilis Clustered Field Sedge
Common in meadows, open, wet areas, marshes, seeps, seasonally wet edges of ponds, frequently alkaline soil, wide distribution , valleys up to middle elevations in CA, grows in western NA,to central U... Learn more.

Ceanothus gloriosus gloriosus Pt. Reyes Ceanothus
Evergreen groundcover 1 ft. high 6 ft. wide. It has blue flowers on dark green foliage. If you live near the coast it's a good tough ground cover. It will not tolerate full sun or drought in the inter... Learn more.