Salt Spray Tolerant Ground Cover Plants

Zone 4

• If you live in U.S. Department of Agriculture zone 4, choose salt-tolerant ground covers that are cold-hardy to average annual lows of minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Hardy in zones 3 to 8, golden stonecrop (Sedum acre) grows to 2 inches high and forms a mat of light-green, deciduous foliage. It grows best in sandy, rocky soil and in sun to partial shade. Golden stonecrop blooms in spring with bright yellow flowers. Creeping liriope (Liriope spicata) is hardy in zones 4 to 9. This grass-like evergreen grows to 12 inches tall with a similar spread, and has green foliage that turns coppery in winter. It blooms with purple and white flowers in summer, and prefers shaded, well-drained sites.

Zone 5

• USDA zone 5 experiences lows to minus 20 degrees. Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) is hardy in zones 5 to 9. This 2-foot-tall evergreen spreads quickly and will climb if provided with support. It has dark-to-silver-green foliage with toothed margins, and thrives in sun to shade. The 9-inch-tall green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) tolerates salt and limited foot traffic. This semi-evergreen is hardy in zones 5 to 9 and grows best in well-drained soil. Green and gold blooms with bright yellow flowers in spring.

Zone 6

• In USDA zone 6, the lows drop to minus 10 degrees. Hardy in USDA zones 6 to 8, Emerald Sea and Blue Pacific shore junipers (Juniperus conferta) grow to 18 inches tall and spread to 8 feet. These evergreens prefer sunny sites with well-drained soil and tolerate drought. Mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) is hardy in zones 6 to 9 and grows best in well-drained soil. This evergreen grows to 10 inches tall and has dark, grass-like foliage. Mondo grass grows well in sun or shade, and blooms with white and purple flowers in summer.

Zone 7

• USDA zone 7 lows dip to 0 degrees. Algerian ivy (Hedera canariensis) is hardy in zones 7 to 8. This evergreen vine grows well as a ground cover and prefers partial to full shade. Algerian ivy has dark, glossy foliage that turns coppery in winter. Yellow star jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) can also be grown as a salt-tolerant ground cover. This evergreen vine, hardy in zones 7 and 8, grows to 12 feet long and produces fragrant yellow flowers. It grows well in partially shaded sites.