Shrubs can add both style and shade to your yard. Some shrubs tolerate salty air or water and are perfect if you live on the coast and want to do some seaside landscaping.
So, what are some salt tolerant shrubs? Salt tolerant shrubs include: American Beautyberry, Chaste Tree, Common Lantana, Dappled Willow, Elderberry, Forsythia, Plumbago, Rose, Russian Sage, and Ti Plant. Some of these plants have attractive foliage and can grow quite tall!
Of course, some of these shrubs prefer full sun, while others tolerate partial or full shade.
In this article, we’ll talk about 10 salt tolerant shrubs. We’ll also take a look at what they need for light, water, and other important growth factors.
Let’s get started.
10 Salt Tolerant Shrubs
There are plenty of salt tolerant trees, but here are 10 to start with:
- American Beautyberry
- Chaste Tree
- Common Lantana
- Dappled Willow
- Elderberry
- Forsythia
- Plumbago
- Rose
- Russian Sage
- Ti Plant
Let’s begin with American Beautyberry.
American Beautyberry
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a perennial deciduous shrub that tolerates salt and produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) pink or white flowers in late spring or summer.
American Beautyberry needs moderate moisture levels, and it can resist drought, making it suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
American Beautyberry prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers acidic to neutral soil (pH of 5.6 to 7.3).
American Beautyberry can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 6 feet, with a width of 3 to 6 feet.
You can propagate American Beautyberry by division, root cuttings, tip cuttings, or seeds.
You can learn more about American Beautyberry from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find American Beautyberry from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Chaste Tree
Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a perennial deciduous shrub that tolerates salt and produces showy fragrant lavender, pink, purple, or white flowers in late spring or summer.
Chaste Tree needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and it can resist drought, making it suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Chaste Tree prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers acidic to neutral soil (pH of 5.6 to 7.5).
Chaste Tree can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 10 to 20 feet, with a width of 5 to 15 feet.
You can propagate Chaste Tree by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Chaste Tree from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Chaste Tree from Nature Hills.
Common Lantana
Common Lantana (Lantana camara) is a perennial evergreen shrub that tolerates salt and produces small (1 to 2 inch) showy lavender, mauve, orange, pink, yellow, or bicolor flowers in late spring, summer, or early fall.
Common Lantana needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and it can resist drought, making it suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.
Common Lantana prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers acidic soil (pH of 5.5 to 6.5).
Common Lantana cannot tolerate much cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 9b (as cold as 25 degrees Fahrenheit or –4 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 4 feet.
You can propagate Common Lantana by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Common Lantana from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Common Lantana from Plant Delights Nursery.
Dappled Willow
Dappled Willow (Salix integra) is a perennial deciduous shrub that tolerates salt and produces tiny (less than 1 inch) yellow flowers in spring.
Dappled Willow needs moderate to wet moisture levels, and it can resist flooding.
Dappled Willow prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 5.6 to 7.8).
Dappled Willow can tolerate severe cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit or –34 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 4 to 6 feet, with a width of 4 to 7 feet.
You can propagate Dappled Willow by layering or stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Dappled Willow from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Dappled Willow from Wilson Bros Gardens.
Elderberry
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is a perennial deciduous shrub that tolerates salt and produces showy fragrant tiny (less than 1 inch) mauve or pink flowers in late spring or early summer.
Elderberry needs moderate to wet moisture levels, making it suitable for bog gardening.
Elderberry prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).
Elderberry can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 6 to 8 feet, with a width of 6 to 8 feet.
You can propagate Elderberry by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Elderberry from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Elderberry from Nourse Farms.
Forsythia
Forsythia is a perennial deciduous shrub that tolerates salt and produces showy yellow flowers in late winter or spring.
Forsythia needs moderate moisture levels, but it will tolerate drought. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Forsythia needs full sun. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).
Forsythia can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 8 to 10 feet, with a width of 10 to 12 feet.
You can propagate Forsythia by layering, stem cuttings, or by stolons and runners.
You can learn more about Forsythia from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Forsythia from Direct Gardening.
Plumbago
Plumbago is a perennial evergreen shrub that tolerates salt and produces small (1 to 2 inch) showy blue or white flowers in spring, summer, or fall.
Plumbago needs moderate moisture levels, but it will tolerate drought. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Plumbago prefers full sun, but it will tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic soil (pH of 6.1 to 6.5).
Plumbago cannot tolerate much cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8b (as cold as 15 degrees Fahrenheit or –9 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 10 feet, with a width of 8 feet.
You can propagate Plumbago by layering or stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Plumbago from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Plumbago from Calloway’s Nursery.
Rose
Rose is a perennial deciduous shrub that tolerates salt and produces showy, fragrant mauve flowers in summer.
Rose needs moderate to dry moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Rose needs full sun. It prefers acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 5.6 to 7.8).
Rose can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 2a (as cold as -50 degrees Fahrenheit or –46 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 8 feet, with a width of 6 feet.
You can propagate Rose by tip cuttings or stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Rose from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Rose from Heirloom Roses.
Russian Sage
Russian Sage (Salvia yangii or Perovskia atriplicifolia) is a perennial deciduous shrub that tolerates salt and produces showy, fragrant blue or lavender flowers in summer, fall, or early winter.
Russian Sage needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and it can tolerate drought, making it suitable for xeriscaping. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Russian Sage needs full sun. It prefers alkaline soil (pH of over 7.0).
Russian Sage can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 2a (as cold as -50 degrees Fahrenheit or –46 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet, with a width of 2 to 4 feet.
You can propagate Russian Sage by cuttings.
You can learn more about Russian Sage from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Russian Sage from Bluestone Perennials.
Ti Plant
Ti Plant (Cordyline fruticosa) is a perennial evergreen shrub that tolerates salt and produces pink leaves. It also produces pink flowers in summer or fall.
Ti Plant needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.
Ti Plant likes full sun, but can tolerate partial shade. It likes a slightly acidic soil pH (6.1 to 6.5).
Ti Plant tolerates salt, but it cannot tolerate cold temperatures. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 10b (as cold as 35 degrees Fahrenheit or 2 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 9 to 15 feet (smaller in containers) and a width of 3 to 8 feet.
You can propagate Ti Plant by stem or root cuttings.
You can learn more about Ti Plant from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Ti Plant from Costa Farms.
Conclusion
Now you know about 10 salt tolerant shrubs and how to take care of them. They might provide inspiration to help you to improve your landscape and provide more shade in your yard.
You might also want to check out my article on salt tolerant trees.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here. Enjoy!
~Jonathon