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Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.ENH26Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida 1R. J. Black 2IntroductionIf you think that the state or Florida offers awealth of plant material and good growingenvironment, you're right. But try gardening near oron the Atlantic and the Gulf coasts, and you may haveproblems. Winds carry salt spray inland, leaving saltdeposits on plants. Salt causes water to move out ofthe plants in a process called exosmosis. Especiallyon young leaves, this often results in the marginalburning and loss of leaves in non-salt-tolerant plants.Plant damage may also result from driving rains andfrequently heavy surf.Coastal soil composition adds to gardeningproblems. Sand along the coast generally lacksorganic matter or any other nutrient- andmoisture-holding material, although this lack can bepartly overcome by the addition of organic matter.Also, alkaline soils may lock up vital mineralnutrients needed for plant growth.Salt tolerance of a plant relates to resistance andability to grow under conditions of (1) high winds,(2) salt spray, (3) alkaline soils, and (4) infertile,sandy soils. The tolerance of a given plant to salt maybe affected if any of the four conditions becomeextreme.The tables included here provide a guide toselecting landscape plants for Florida's beach areas orareas with high levels of water salinity. In each table,plants are listed by common and Latin name and aredivided into categories such as trees and shrubs.Within each category plants are grouped according todegree of salt tolerance. The range in Florida isindicated by: N North, C Central, S South.Salt-Tolerant plants are highly resistant to saltdrift and can be used in exposed environments.Moderately Salt-Tolerant plants tolerate somesalt spray but grow best when protected by buildings,fences, or plantings of more salt-tolerant species.Slightly Salt-Tolerant plants have poortolerance and should be always used well back ofexposed areas and be protected by buildings, fences,or plantings of more salt-tolerant species.Many common plants are listed, althoughnumerous less common plants are not included.Extremely salt-sensitive plants have been excluded.Information is given on the range of growth inFlorida and approximate plant height at maturity.1. This document is ENH-26 (which supersedes OH-26), one of a series of the Department of Environmental Horticulture, Florida Cooperative ExtensionService, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Date first printed: December 1985. Reviewed: June 1997, September 2003.Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/2. R. J. Black, Extension Consumer Horticulturist, Extension Environmental Horticulturist; Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food andAgricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educationalinformation and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.For information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension Service office. Florida CooperativeExtension Service/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences/University of Florida/Christine Taylor Waddill, Dean.

Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida Table 1 . Salt-Tolerant Trees for Florida Table 2 . Salt-Tolerant Palms for Florida Table 3 . Salt-Tolerant Shrubs for Florida Table 4 . Salt-Tolerant Ground Covers forFlorida Table 5 . Salt-Tolerant Vines for FloridaNOTE: Scientific plant names in the tables arecorrect according to the source Hortus Third, AConcise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the UnitedStates and Canada, revised and expanded by theStaff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium, NewYork State University at Cornell University.Macmillian Publishing Co., Inc., 1976.2

Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida3Table 1. Salt-Tolerant Trees for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange in FloridaApproximate HeightBlack oliveBucida bucerasS40 feetBontiaBontia daphnoideS30 feetFrangipaniPlumeria spp.S15 feetGeiger treeCordia sebestenaS30 feetJapanese pagoda-treeSophora japonicaS60 feetLive oakQuercus virginianaN,C,S60 feetMahoganySwietenia mahoganiS40 feetOchrosiaOchrosia ellipticaS20 feetPigeon plumCoccoloba laurifoliaS70 feetSatin leafChrysophyllum oliviformeS30 feetSilver button-bushConocarpus erectusS60 feetTabebuiaTabebuia argenteaC,SVariableSalt-Tolerant PlantsModerately Salt-Tolerant PlantsWeeping figFicus benjaminaS50 feetChaste-treeVitex agnus-castusN,C,S20 feetDahoonIlex cassineN,C,S40 feetGumbo-limboBursera simarubaS60 feetLoquatEriobotrya japonicaN,C,S20 feetMagnoliaMagnolia grandifloraN,C75 feetMangoMangifera indicaS40 feetPongamPongamia pinnataS40 feetRoyal poincianaDelonix regiaS40 feetRubber plantFicus elasticaS50 feet

Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida4Table 1. Salt-Tolerant Trees for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange in FloridaApproximate HeightSweet acaciaAcacia farnesianaN,C,S10 feetAfrican tulip treeSpathodea campanulataS50 feetAmerican hollyIlex opacaN,C50 feetCoral treeErythrina spp.C,S25 feetGolden-showerCassia fistulaS40 feetJerusalem thornParkinsonia aculeataN,C,S25 feetPencil treeEuphorbia tirucalliS20 feetSweet gumLiquidambar styracifluaN,C,S100 feetYellow poincianaPeltophorum pterocarpumC,S50 feetSlightly Salt-Tolerant PlantsTable 2. Salt-Tolerant Palms for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange in FloridaAppoximate HeightHyophorbe spp.S15 feetBrittle thatch palmThrinax morrisilS15 feetCabbage palmSabal palmettoN,C,S60 feetCoconut (LY)Cocos nuciferaS80 feetHurricane palm (LY)Dictyosperma albumS40 feetSaw palmettoSerenoa repensN,C,S10 feetSilver palmCoccothrinax argentataS20 feetWashingtonia palmWashingtonia spp.N,C,S80 feetC,S40 feetSalt-Tolerant PlantsBottle palm (LY)1Moderately Salt-Tolerant PlantsAcrocomiaGastrococos crispa

Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida5Table 2. Salt-Tolerant Palms for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange in FloridaAppoximate HeightAfrican oil palmElaeis guineensisS60 feetAreca palmChrysalidocarpus lutescensS30 feetCanary island date palm (LY)Phoenix canariensisN,C,S30 feetChristmas palm (LY)Veitchia merrilliiS20 feetDate palm (LY)Phoenix dactyliferaC,S50 feetEuropean fanChamaerops humilisN,C,S10 feetFiji island fan palm (LY)Pritchardia pacificaS30 feetGingerbread palmHyphaene thebaicaS25 feetLady palmRhapis excelsaN,C,S15 feetPaurotisAcoelorrhaphe wrightiiS40 feetPindo palmButia capitataN,C,S30 feetQueen palmArecastrum romanzoffianumC,S40 feetRoyal palmRoystonea elataS80 feetWindmill palm (LY)Trachycarpus fortuneiN,C,S20 feet1 LY--Palms on quarantine list displaying symptoms of lethal yellowingTable 3. Salt-Tolerant Shrubs for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange inFloridaApproximate HeightAdam's-needleYucca smallianaN,C,S4 feetAfrican milk brushSynadenium grantiiS8 feetBay cedarSuriana maritimaS20 feetCrown-of-thornsEuphorbia miliiC,S3 feetInkberryScaevola plumieriS6 feetSalt-Tolerant Plants

Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida6Table 3. Salt-Tolerant Shrubs for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange inFloridaApproximate HeightMarlberryArdisia escallonoidesS20 feetMilkstripe euphorbiaEuphorbia lacteaS15 feetNatal plumCarissa grandifloraC,S10 feetOleanderNerium oleanderN,C,S20 feetPittosporumPittosporum tobiraN,C,S15 feetSea grapeCoccoloba uviferaS25 feetSouthern wax myrtleMyrica ceriferaN,C,S25 feetYauponIlex vomitoriaN,C25 feetModerately Salt-Tolerant PlantsBarbados flower-fenceCaesalpinia pulcherrimaS15 feetBottle brushCallistemon rigidusN,C,S15 feetDevil's-backbonePedilanthus tithymaloidesC,S6 feetBlue sageEranthemum pulchellumC,S5 feetFatsiaFatsia japonicaN,C,S4 - 7 feetFire-thornPyracantha coccineaN,C20 feetGiant milkweedCalotropis giganteaS15 feetGrape holliesMahonia spp.N,C6 - 12 feetHedge cactusCereus peruvianusN,C,S25 feetHolly malpighiaMalpighia coccigeraS3 feetIndian hawthornRhaphiolepis indicaN5 feetIxoraIxora coccineaC,S15 feetJade plantCrassula argenteaS4 feetLucky nutThevetia peruvianaC,S10 - 15 feetNight cestrumCestrum nocturnumC,S12 feet

Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida7Table 3. Salt-Tolerant Shrubs for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange inFloridaApproximate ,S4 feetRattle boxSesbania puniceaN,C,S8 feetRibbon bushHomalocladium platycladumC,S4 feetSatsuki azaleaRhododendron indicumN,C,S6 feetScarlet bushHamelia patensS12 feetVitexVitex trifolia 'Variegata'C,S12 feetAraliaPolyscias spp.S6 - 15 feetButterfly bushBuddleia officinalisN,C,S20 feetChinese hat plantHolmskioldia sanguineaC,SVariableCopper leafAcalypha wilkesianaC,S15 feetCoral plantJatropha spp.S10 - 15 feetCrape jasmineTabernaemontana divaricataC,S10 feetCrape myrtleLagerstroemia indicaN,C,S20 feetCrotonCodiaeum variegatumC,S10 feetCupheaCuphea hyssopifoliaC,S1 - 2 feetHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensisC,S15 feetJapanese privetLigustrum japonicumN,C,S15 feetPineapple guavaAcca sellowianaN,C,S18 feetPlumbagoPlumbago auriculataC,SVariablePoinsettiaEuphorbia pulcherrimaN,C,S12 feetPrincess flowerTibouchina urvilleanaC,S15 feetRice-paper plantTetrapanax papyriferusN,C,S10 feetSancheziaSanchezia speciosaC,S6 feetSlightly Salt-Tolerant Plants

Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.Salt-Tolerant Plants for Florida8Table 3. Salt-Tolerant Shrubs for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange inFloridaApproximate HeightSnow bushBreynia nivosaC,S10 feetThryallisGalphimia glaucaC,S6 - 8 feetWintergreen barberryBerberis julianaeN6 feetYellow-elderTecoma stansC,S15 feetTable 4. Salt-Tolerant Ground Covers for FloridaCommon NameScientific NameRange inFloridaApproximateHeightConfederate tieZamia integrifoliaN,C24 inchesCreeping figFicus pumilaN,C,S12 inchesDichondraDichondra carolinensisN,C,S2 inchesEnglish ivyHedera helixN,C,S4-6 inchesFig-marigoldGlottiphyllum depressumS6 inchesHottentot figCarpobrotus edulisC,S6 inchesLily turfOphiopogon japonicusN,C,S18 inchesLiropeLirope spicataN,C,S18 inchesPurslanePortulaca spp.N,C,S6 inchesRunning strawberry bushEuonymus fortuneiS10 inchesVirginia creeperParthenocissus quinquefoliaN,C,SVariableWeeping lantanaLantana montevidensisC,S18 - 24 inchesSalt-Tolerant PlantsModerately Salt-Tolerant PlantsKalanchoeKalanchoe spp.S24 inchesBlood leafAlternanthera spp.C,S12 inches