Choosing Plants That Can Handle Sun, Salt and Wind

However, with some of the most stunning coastlines, growing along the south coast can also bring some challenges. For example, the plants of a sheltered Chichester courtyard will be positively pampered in comparison to those exposed to salty westerlies of the Witterings or Worthing. Read on to discover our top 5 architectural plants to use on the South Coast and the conditions needed for them to thrive.

Thriving in full sun and coping well with wind and exposure, Stipa lessingiana adds a softness that pairs perfectly with Mediterranean shrubs and architectural perennials. Once a year comb through with a hair brush – very therapeutic, honest.

A good doer, an ornamental grass that delivers movement and texture to a coastal planting scheme. Forming soft, fountain-like clumps of narrow green foliage. Exceptionally drought tolerant once established, this grass is ideal for sunny, free-draining borders, gravel gardens or coastal-style planting where resilience is just as important as appearance.

Iconic. With their gnarled trunks, silvery-grey evergreen foliage and timeless sculptural form. Olives thrive in the region’s warmer, brighter conditions, particularly in sheltered or south-facing spots where they can soak up the sun. Best grown in well-drained soil, they are surprisingly hardy once established, although protection from prolonged winter wet is key.

Whether used as a statement in a pot or as part of a dry planting scheme, the olive tree brings instant structure and atmosphere year-round to a coastal garden.

You can get some browning needles during the toughest Winters. Slow growing and low maintenance, this rugged little pine is perfect for gravel gardens, rockeries or as a low lying evergreen.

Tough, compact and full of character. Pinus mugo is a wonderfully dependable architectural conifer for exposed coastal gardens. Commonly known as the dwarf mountain pine, it forms a dense, rounded mound of rich green needles, offering year-round structure without becoming overpowering. Naturally wind resistant and highly tolerant of poor, sandy or free-draining soils, it is particularly well suited to coastal conditions where salt-laden air and exposure can challenge more delicate plants.

Vertical struts of green with vibrant purple flowers that emerge swiftly. 5ft. A great complement to an Architectural Plant garden.

Verbena is ideal for adding delicate height and structure to borders. Come summer it will not just be you who appreciates it, but all manner of pollinators. Best grown in full sun, verbena bonariensis will tolerate both an exposed or sheltered spot and is usually considered a short-lived perennial here in the south.

If an unusually harsh winter frost does kill it off, there are usually many self-seeded babies ready to take over the following spring. Ideal for a hot and dry border and perfect for growing amongst swathes of Stipa lessingiana in a coastal planting scheme.

Come summer, the New Zealand Flax develops tall thin stems up to around 10 ft tall upon which flowers tower above the contrasting foliage. A true sun lover, it prefers a south or west-facing spot and well-drained soil. Suitable for containers, but perhaps most at home in a gravel garden.

Not dissimilar to an erupting green volcano, Phormium tenax is as commanding as it is striking. Originating from and known widely as New Zealand Flax, this robust, clump-forming perennial produces greenish-grey sword-like leaves up to around 7 ft tall and 4 ft wide. Favoured in coastal areas where they tend to thrive, you can see some exceptional specimens dotted around Bognor Regis.