The Best Types Of Trees For Seaside Gardening

Garden Trees For Coastal Climates

Finding suitable types of trees for coastal gardens is not so easy. A lot of ornamental trees struggle with the exposure to wind and salt. Here is a guide for the best decorative trees that will survive near the sea. Choose deciduous trees or suitable types of evergreen trees for shelterbelts.

Every gardener that I know wants to grow different types of trees in their gardens. If you have a garden in a coastal area you know that you are limited in the choice of garden trees and that it is much more difficult to grow nice decorative trees.

Trees that are grown in a coastal climate have to be able to deal with severe winds and salt spray. They also don't tend to grow to the size they would grow to if they were in a sheltered garden and often they have a windswept shape. The branches facing the main wind direction are getting 'pruned' by the wind leading to those shapes.

Choosing suitable trees for this climate is essential for success. Unsuitable plants will not grow, the foliage will burn from the wind and sometimes they will neither live or die. These unfortunate plants will look crippled and sick and will be everything but decorative.

Some types of evergreen trees can be used for creating shelterbelts that will protect from the prevailing winds. Some deciduous trees are also suitable for this purpose but they, of course, won't offer the same amount of protection in the winter than evergreen trees. Good choices for this are pine trees (Pinus contorta, Pinus radiata).

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