Planting native plants in a meadow buffer to a salt marsh can provide many benefits that lawn grasses cannot. Dense groupings of native, bunch-forming grasses, wildflower perennials, and shrubs can filter out pollutants from stormwater before reaching the marsh and provide shelter, food, and nesting materials for wildlife. These deeper-rooted plants can also help stabilize soils, absorb and buffer flood waters, and outcompete invasive species. By replacing lawn area with a native meadow buffer, you will also reduce mowing, watering, and maintenance requirements while eliminating the need for fertilizers and pesticides that may otherwise harm local water quality and the health of people and wildlife. See Landscaping Near a Salt Marsh: Planting a Meadow Buffer for more on these benefits, along with a complete list of appropriate plants.
Please note: Projects near salt marsh, beaches, and other protected areas may require a permit through the local Conservation Commission. See Coastal Landscaping in Massachusetts - Do You Need a Permit? for details.
Landscape Plan for a Meadow Buffer to Salt Marsh
This landscape plan for a meadow buffer to a salt marsh includes dense plantings of a variety of native grasses and perennials with a few designated groupings of low-growing shrubs. This buffer replaces a portion of existing lawn that previously extended to the edge of the salt marsh and includes a no-disturb zone of about 3-4 feet between the meadow buffer and the salt marsh edge where existing vegetation will be left unmowed. This transition area allows for easy access to plantings without having to step in the marsh, helps prevent any exposed soils in newly planted meadow areas from being washed into the marsh, and allows a transition area for sun-loving salt marsh grasses to grow and thrive without shade or competition. Placed just upland of the no-disturb zone are native grasses and perennials that are well adapted to sunny areas, resistant to wind and salt spray, and tolerant of potential flooding from storm surge. Salt-tolerant shrubs are set farther landward in the buffer (see the Profile of a Meadow Buffer to Salt Marsh for details of recommended plant types for the different planting zones next to a salt marsh). The meadow-like design—with no space between plants once they mature—precludes the need for mulch since the plantings provide the groundcover. The dense plantings can also control erosion and intercept, absorb, and filter stormwater (which carries pollutants such as oil from roadways, bacteria from pet waste, and pesticides from lawns) before reaching the marsh.
Tip: Planting small plugs is a great way to achieve thick plant coverage for a large area. Smaller, younger plants can establish more quickly and efficiently by directing their energy to root and leaf development (rather than the flower and seed production). The smaller-sized plants also cost much less to purchase, are easier to transport, can be placed closer together at planting time, and produce less plastic waste than the larger potted plants. Another cost-effective approach is to start plants from seed, either indoors or sown directly in the ground. Many suppliers now offer native wildflower, grass, and sedge mixes with species that are appropriate for coastal conditions—these can either be seeded into bare ground or overseeded into existing vegetation once the danger of frost has passed. When starting seeds indoors, transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost and only after plants have grown their true leaves and been acclimated to outdoor conditions (typically by allowing them to spend gradually longer times outdoors). See the instructions on each seed package for specific requirements.
Illustration of a Meadow Buffer to Salt Marsh
This illustration shows the landscape plan at maturity, as seen from the lawn looking out to the salt marsh. The area closest to the marsh is the no-disturb zone where existing grasses have been left unmown. Shorter, bunch-forming grasses and perennials are placed at the front and back of the border, while a colorful display of intermediate-height grasses and wildflower perennials are visible in the middle. To create a sense of order to the design, the plants are loosely grouped to create unified drifts of colors and shape, but each grouping flows and mixes with others to create a natural look (which will likely continue to shift and change over the years). Both the grasses and perennials benefit native butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators by providing important nectar and pollen sources, hosting native caterpillars, and offering shelter for overwintering. The small groupings of shrubs that rise above the other plantings provide an interesting focal point throughout the seasons with contrasting colors and structures of flowers, foliage, branches, and berries, while also providing food for wildlife, perches for birds, and deep roots that help stabilize soils, prevent erosion, and absorb water. Because most homeowners want to preserve coastal views, no trees and only lower-growing shrubs are included in this design.
Plant Key
All plants in the following list are native to Massachusetts (see: Definitions of Native and Non-Native Plant Species). For a printer-friendly version of this plant key, see Buffer to Salt Marsh Plant Key (PDF, 1.36 MB).
Additional Information
See the following pages for more about coastal plants and landscaping:
- More detailed descriptions of each plant in Grasses/Perennials, Shrubs/Groundcovers/Vines, and Trees.
- Other coastal landscape plans at Coastal Bank, Coastal Bank with an Existing Seawall, and Coastal Dune.
- More about the benefits of buffers at Stormwater Solutions for Homeowners Fact Sheet: Vegetated Buffers.