Hello all,
We just purchased a house on Edisto Beach, SC and would like to do some modest landscaping.
The soil is 100% sand and the drinking water, soil and air have a very high salt content. I understand there are not many plants that can tolorate such a high
salt content, but there are plants like Pampas Grass, Sea Oats, Yuccas and others.
I'd like to take out the yuccas as they can injure chirldren and I'd like to put in grass and flowering plants.
Can anyone recommend what plants to purchase?
Thanks,
Paul
This message was edited Feb 14, 2006 4:03 PM
Salt tolorant plants
Hi Paul,
Just to to any search engine and type in salt tolerant plants and you'll get lots of hits, the interesting thing is no to lists are exactly alike .. so visit a bunch of sites.
X
Hi Paul, I garden just across the sound from you on the marshes of St. Helena Island. Interestingly my soil is heavy gray marl so we have very different problems.
I would take a walk around the neighorhood and see what seems to be doing well. The plants you mentioned are pretty common so look for other material.
Crape Myrtles can handle the off beach side of your home and there is a site listing them by color, size, shape, etc. so you could find the perfect fit if that interested you. Off hand I can think of lantana, gaillardia, gazania, mexican heather; all of these would be perennial or self sowing. If you have any shade, wax begonias would love it there. Oleander seems to do well as does the bottlebrush (callistemon lanceolatus), crinums, agapanthus and day lilies.
Hope this helps.
Xeramtheum/ardesia,
Thanks.
Will check out the web.
Oleander sounds great.
Any ideas about grass?
Paul
Centipede or Zoysia for sun; St. Augustine for shade. Zoysia can take more foot traffic than Centipede and if you have kids and dogs, that is important to recognise.
Ardesia,
After speaking to several people and nurserys, I'm advised to get plugs of Amazoy Zoysia.
They say it is salt tolerant, grows in very sandy soil and is great for heavy traffic areas.
Thanks for your comments and guidance.
Paul
Paul, if you have small children I'd forego the oleander for awhile .. they can cause severe contact dermatitis and children are attracted to the pretty flowers and fragrance.
X
Xeramtheum,
Thanks for info. I have no small kids of my own--wish I had a few grand kids, but---
Anyway, that's why I took out most of the yucca.
Paul
When my own kids were young we visited Disneyworld where they had signs in front of the Oleanders saying "pretty but poisonous". Those signs really made an impression on the boys; my youngest was only 4 at the time but even he remembered to never pick the leaves or branches of the Oleanders. To this day, and they are now 33 & 39, both kids call Oleanders the "pretty but poisonous" shrub.
Oleanders are also on the list of one of the highest pollen contributors for allergy suffers in the nation. Las Vegas has some sort of law restricting the sale of this plant for commercial use because of the pollen.
MaVieRose,
Thanks a bunch.
Now the trick is to find locak nursery.
Paul
Carat--Now you're starting a fight betwen me and my wife. Thanks
u're welcome Paul :D.
HTH http://www.sciway.net/bus/plants.html , http://www.helpfulgardener.com/nursery/nurseries/south-carolina.html
http://www.azaleachapter.com/growers.htm#South%20Carolina
edited to add one more link http://www.findnurseries.com/US/SC/nurseries/index.shtml
This message was edited Mar 3, 2006 5:49 PM
Paul, Cross Seed on Hwy.61 and Hyams on Folly Road (both in Charleston) will have the greatest variety of plants for you. But don't pass up the smaller places, you might find some gems there. There is a place near the airport on John's Island that has excellent plant material. Baker's in Yemassee is wholesale but they sell to the public; I just picked up a beautiful camellia there. I think there is a wholsale place on Edisto; perhaps they sell to the public also.