Link to CZM Home Page Link to EEA Home Page Link to Mass.gov black cherry red cedar red maple arrowwood viburnum nannyberry nannyberry little bluestem little bluestem bigleaf hydrangea bigleaf hydrangea eastern showy aster eastern showy aster pink tickseed pink tickseed sweet goldenrod sweetgoldenrod sweetgoldenrod sweetgoldenrod purple lovegrass purple lovegrass big bluestem big bluestem big bluestem american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass saltmeadow cordgrass saltmeadow cordgrass saltmeadow cordgrass saltmeadow cordgrass pink tickseed pink tickseed big bluestem little bluestem eastern showy aster eastern showy aster bayberry bearberry common juniper common juniper common juniper common juniper common juniper common juniper common juniper bearberry bearberry common juniper common juniper common juniper beach plum bayberry bearberry bearberry common juniper bayberry beach plum bearberry bearberry american beachgrass pervious paver driveway flagstone walkway american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass american beachgrass saltmeadow cordgrass saltmeadow cordgrass saltmeadow cordgrass saltmeadow cordgrass saltmeadow cordgrass saltmeadow cordgrass switchgrass switchgrass switchgrass switchgrass switchgrass switchgrass little bluestem

Sample Landscape Plan for a Coastal Bank

By creating a native buffer of plants between your house and the shore, you can reduce lawn area, conserve water, reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides, filter sediments and pollutants, stabilize soils, and help preserve wildlife values. The coastal bank landscape plan provided below incorporates native trees, shrubs, grasses, and ground covers on the top and face of a coastal bank. The second illustration, the coastal bank landscape profile, depicts the landscaped coastal bank as viewed from the water.

The design provides for a pervious-paver driveway and an irregular flagstone walkway, which allow rain water to infiltrate into the ground, preventing runoff that may otherwise cause erosion of the bank. Because coastal homeowners often want to maintain some lawn area, a lawn is included in this plan. However, lawn grasses provide very little storm-damage protection and wildlife benefit. In addition, maintaining a lawn may actually worsen erosion problems when excess water from irrigation systems drains towards the bank or causes groundwater seepages to undermine bank stability. Lawn areas should therefore be kept as small as possible and permanent irrigation systems should not be used.

On the landscape plan below, you can move your cursor over each plant icon to find its common name, or you can click on the icon to find a photograph and a complete description of the plant. You can also see the plant list below for a complete list of all of the species used within the plan. The plants in this design are well adapted to sunny areas and are resistant to dry conditions, wind, and salt spray. Some of the shrubs chosen, such as beach plum, will remain fairly small due the severity of the environment, yet if grown in high-nutrient soils, these shrubs can grow much taller (as much as 10-12 feet). Because most homeowners want to preserve coastal views, the smaller size of the shrubs is advantageous. Most of the plants included are native species, but those that are non-natives are noted as "not native."


Coastal Bank Landscape Plan

coastal bank landscape plan
Coastal Bank Landscape Plan by Betsy Rickards

Coastal Bank Landscape Profile

coastal bank landscape profile
Coastal Bank Landscape Profile by Betsy Rickards

Plant List for Coastal Bank Landscape Plan

Plant icon

Botanical name

Common name

Height

Value

Perennials and grasses
beachgrass character Ammophila breviligulata American Beachgrass 2-3' Ideal grass for coastal stabilization due to deep spreading roots, quick colonization, and salt tolerance. (native)
frg Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem 4-8' Hardy upright grass with interesting seed heads that resemble a turkey’s foot and leaves that change colors throughout the seasons. (native)
pink tickseed Coreopsis rosea Pink Tickseed 1-2' Low-maintenance, small, flowering perennial with attractive pink, daisy-like flowers. It can spread by rhizomes or self-seeding. (native)
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabalis Purple Lovegrass 1-3' Versatile and low-maintenance ornamental grass that grows in an open cluster with attractive reddish-purple blooms. (native)
eastern showy aster

Eurybia spectabilis

Eastern Showy Aster

1-2' Easy-to-grow, drought- and salt-tolerant perennial with showy clusters of violet flowers that bloom from August to October. (native)
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Switchgrass 3-6' Perennial, clump-forming, warm-season grass with open lacy sprays, reddish-purple seedheads, and deep roots that make it an ideal soil stabilizer. (native)
lb Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem 18”-3’ Adaptable native grass that is useful for re-vegetation, soil stability, food for birds, and cover for wildlife. (native)
sweet goldenrod

Solidago odora

Sweet Goldenrod

2-5' Adaptable and hardy perennial with aromatic leaves and attractive bright yellow clusters of flowers that bloom from late summer to mid fall. (native)
saltmeadow cordgrass character Spartina patens Saltmeadow Cordgrass 1-3' Native perennial grass that tolerates regular inundations of saltwater and spreads by long slender rhizomes. (native)
Shrubs and groundcovers
bearberry character Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Bearberry 6-12” Hardy, low-growing evergreen groundcover/shrub that is a good soil stabilizer and has attractive bright red berries that are readily eaten by birds. (native)
blh Hydrangea macrophylla Bigleaf Hydrangea 3-6’ Fast-growing, deciduous shrub that is tolerant of salt and shade and has attractive, large, colorful flowers. (not native; native to Japan)
common juniper Juniperus communis var. depressa Common Juniper 4’ Dense, spreading, evergreen groundcover/shrub that is useful for erosion control and often found on gravelly slopes and rocky seaside locations. (native)
by Myrica pensylvanica Bayberry 2-6’ Salt-tolerant, semi-evergreen shrub with berries that are eaten by birds. (native)
bp Prunus maritima Beach Plum 7-14’ Salt-tolerant, deciduous shrub with deep roots, white flowers, and edible fruits. (native)
av Viburnum dentatum Arrowwood Viburnum 5-9’ Hardy shrub that is adaptable to a variety of conditions and has fruit valuable for birds. (native)
nannyberry Viburnum lentago Nannyberry 10-18’ Deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub that blooms early in the summer and has attractive fall foliage. (native)
Trees
rm Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’ Red Maple 40-70’ Fast-growing, native, deciduous tree with brilliant fall color. (native)
rc Juniperus virginiana Eastern Red Cedar 10-40’ Native evergreen tree that is drought- and salt-tolerant, with berries valuable to wildlife. (native)
bc Prunus serotina Black Cherry 60-90’ Rapid growing tree that is drought- and salt-tolerant, with pendulous branches, fragrant flowers, and berries for wildlife. (native)

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