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While this species can be hard to find in nurseries and it doesn’t transplant well from the wild, it’s easy to propagate from cuttings.
3. Cotoneaster
Cotoneasters are members of the rose family, and native to north Africa, parts of Asia, and Europe. While not all plants in the Cotoneaster genus are evergreen, ‘Coral Beauty’ sure is.
With satiny, rounded leaves, small white flowers in the spring, and bright orange-red berries in the summer, there’s always something to admire when you plant ‘Coral Beauty’ shrubs.
This evergreen beauty, a Cotoneaster dammeri cultivar, grows in Zones 5 through 9.
It reaches up to 24 inches tall at maturity and spreads three to four feet, making it an ideal ground cover for any street strip. And since it’s on this list, you know it’s salt tolerant.
Cotoneaster thrives in rich, well-draining soil. Keep in mind that this shrub loves the sun, and needs full sunlight in order to thrive.
You can find plants in two-gallon containers available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Learn how to grow cotoneaster here.
4. English Yew
For a delightful evergreen shrub that you may have seen gracing the property of an old churchyard, try growing English yew, Taxus baccata.
This long-living plant has dark green needles that’ll brighten your spirit on a winter day. With moderate salt tolerance, you can rest assured that sidewalk salt won’t harm this shrub.
Keep in mind that any English yew may develop berries if there are both female and male plants around, and that these berries are toxic. If you have pets or young children, they may not be a safe choice for your landscape.
English yew is suited to Zones 5 through 7. This plant can live 150 years or longer, making it the perfect long-term investment.
It’s also an easy-care shrub in that it can do well in conditions ranging from full sun to full shade. As long as the soil is well-draining, loamy, and evenly moist, your yew will be happy.
Left untrimmed, it grows 20 to 25 feet tall and spreads 15 to 20 feet. Thankfully, the plant grows slowly, giving you plenty of time to keep it pruned to whatever shape or size you desire.
For even more control over the height of this salt-tolerant shrub, try planting a spreading variety like ‘Repandens.’
This cultivar grows just two to four feet tall but slowly spreads six to 12 feet over time, making it an ideal specimen for a hedge or border.
You can find live spreading yew plants in three-gallon containers from Nature Hills Nursery.
Check out our guide to growing yew here.
5. False Cypress
This hardy, moderately salt-tolerant shrub is perfect in so many ways.
Several species in the Chamaecyparis genus are considered false cypresses, including the popular Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, C. obtusa, C. pisifera, and C. thyoides.
The evergreen false cypress is native to parts of Asia and North America. Most varieties are suited to Zones 4 through 8, making them excellent choices for many snowy locales.
Height and spread vary widely, but most false cypresses have feathery leaves and a beautiful green-gold color that develops in ideal full-sun conditions.
False cypress prefers moist, well-draining soil but it isn’t picky otherwise.
A cultivar that’s ideal for many locations is ‘Koster’s,’ a Hinoki false cypress (C. obtusa) which hails from Japan.
‘Koster’s’ grows four to five feet tall and spreads four to five feet wide.
If you plant a line of these tidy evergreen shrubs, you’ll have plenty of greenery to look at without overwhelming your growing area.
You can purchase live plants in one-gallon containers from Nature Hills Nursery.
6. Gardenia
If the cold weather and reduced sunlight in winter make you feel tired, why not plant a member of the coffee family in your front yard?
Gazing out at your gardenias in the winter might just give you the jolt of energy you need. And though these plants don’t produce caffeine, the flowers are actually edible.
Plants in the Gardenia genus originate from some of the warmest places on the globe: the tropical and subtropical areas of Australia, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands.
This heat-loving plant has just enough salt tolerance to thrive in homes near the coast. It prefers consistently moist, rich, well-draining soil and full sun, but it appreciates light afternoon shade in hotter climates.
And with its dark-hued evergreen leaves and waxy, sweet-scented white flowers, it makes a stunning addition to any yard.
Gardenias are suited to Zones 8 through 11, although some can tolerate Zone 7 winters.
If you live in Zone 7 and want a salt-tolerant shrub to plant in that strip between the sidewalk and the street, try growing ‘Frost Proof,’ one of the most – if not the most – cold-tolerant gardenias around.
This variety grows four to five feet tall and spreads just three to four feet. The glossy leaves will keep you company all winter – long after the blooms fade.
You can purchase live plants in quart-sized, one-gallon, or three-gallon containers from Nature Hills Nursery.
Learn how to grow and care for gardenia here.
7. Inkberry Holly
For a salt-tolerant evergreen with a touch of class, try inkberry holly, Ilex glabra.
Native to North America all the way from Canada down to Texas, inkberry holly thrives in Zones 3 to 9. This shrub loves acidic, slightly moist soil, and has a full, rounded growth habit.
It adapts well to pruning and makes a fantastic low hedge at the edge of the yard or sidewalk, where it will thrive in part shade or full sun.
‘Shamrock,’ one of the most popular cultivars, grows just three to four feet tall and wide.
The medium green foliage deepens to dark green in the winter. Visually insignificant flowers are followed by dark ink-colored berries that can be difficult to spot.
You can find inkberry holly ‘Shamrock’ available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Find tips for growing inkberry holly here.
8. Littleleaf Boxwood
Littleleaf boxwood, Buxus microphylla, is an ideal evergreen for coastal areas, as it’s hardy in Zones 6 through 9 and is tolerant of salt spray.
This sturdy, dependable plant grows three to four feet high and wide, making it easy to maintain. It needs full sun or partial shade, and prefers slightly moist, rich, well-draining soil.
As its name suggests, the leaves on this boxwood are smaller than those of other plants in the Buxus genus.
There are several varieties to choose from, too, making your search easy and fun.
One that looks fantastic in a coastal yard is ‘Little Missy.’
‘Little Missy’ Littleleaf Boxwood
With its upright spires of leaves, this B. microphylla cultivar resembles other popular coastal shrubs like Mediterranean saltbush and coastal rosemary. In other words, it fits right in!
Find plants in #2 and #3 containers from Nature Hills Nursery.
Learn more about growing boxwood here.
9. Mugo Pine
Those of us who live in frigid areas often have a harder time finding salt-tolerant shrubs that will thrive, but mugo pine fits the bill.
Native to an area spanning the Alps, the Carpathians, and the Pyrenees mountain ranges in central Europe, this small to medium-sized shrub is suited to growing in Zones 3 through 7.
A slow-growing conifer, the mugo pine (Pinus mugo var. mugo) can grow 20 feet tall with a spread of 25 feet.
But dwarf varieties grow to about three to five feet in height with a spread of six to 10 feet. You can create a verdant hedge in front of your home with this low-maintenance plant.
Best of all? The mugo pine is highly salt tolerant.
It can take airborne or soil-borne salt exposure, so it’s an ideal choice whether you live in a coastal area or in a snowy mountain town.
Mugo pine requires full sun, but it will appreciate light shade in warmer climates. The soil should be well-draining and moist, but not soggy. Otherwise, it’s not a picky plant.
Start your salt-tolerant hedge with dwarf mugo pines available in three-gallon containers from Nature Hills Nursery.
Find more tips on caring for mugo pines here.
10. Scarlet Firethorn
Looking for a mid-sized shrub? Scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea), which is native to southern Europe and western Asia, just might be the salt-tolerant plant for you.
With its elongated, bluish-green leaves, white flowers in spring, and bright orange berries in autumn, this semi-evergreen plant always has something to offer the eye.
Scarlet firethorn is suited to Zones 6 through 9.
Note that firethorn also produces sharp thorns.
This makes it an excellent defensive plant for landscaping around your residence or along the road, but not necessarily for those who live in densely populated areas with lots of pedestrians who may brush past the bushes.
My favorite variety, ‘Mohave,’ grows six to 12 feet tall with a similar spread.
It isn’t picky about soil richness but enjoys well-drained, slightly moist soil. As for light requirements, it needs full sun to part shade.
Find ‘Mohave’ firethorn available at Fast Growing Trees.
11. Siberian Cypress
For a low-growing, fern-soft, yet tough-as-nails shrub, try growing Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata) in your sidewalk strip.
This salt-tolerant evergreen bears blue-green foliage that resembles that of a juniper, and it’s hardy in Zones 2 through 8.
It reaches an average height of 12 inches inches and a spread of 24 inches, with a creeping, prostrate growth pattern for a sprawling look across the curb strip.
Native to the Sikhote-Alin mountain range in eastern Russia, Siberian cypress grows exceptionally well across a large swath of North America and it isn’t fussy about soil.
This plant thrives in full sun or partial shade, and is drought tolerant once its root system is established. It does not like to have wet feet.
Celtic Pride® Siberian Cypress
I love the way the Celtic Pride® (M. decussata ‘Prides’) has foliage that develops a blue tinge in winter, yet never loses that gorgeous green.
You can find Celtic Pride® plants available Nature Hills Nursery.
12. Wintercreeper
Do you want an evergreen shrub that boasts more than one color? Then Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ is an excellent shrub to plant between the sidewalk and the street.
Native to China, Japan, and Korea, and hardy in Zones 5 to 9, the green, oval-shaped leaves are edged in gold for a striking look.
This plant grows two to three feet high and spreads four to five feet. Like many other evergreen shrubs, this one thrives in full sun or partial shade and loamy, moderately moist soil.
‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ Wintercreeper
Wintercreeper is classified as invasive in many states in the eastern half of the US, so be sure to check local regulations in your area before planting it.
Otherwise, ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ is easy to keep in check with occasional trimming of the runners.
You can find plants in one-gallon containers available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Learn about growing euonymus here.
13. Winter Heath
For striking pinkish-purple, bell-shaped flowers on spruce-like branches from mid- to late winter into early spring, plant salt-tolerant winter heath (Erica carnea) in the space between your front yard and the road.
The flowers fade come summer, but the verdant, needle-filled branches remain.
Native to the mountains of eastern, central, and southern Europe, this attractive plant is hardy in Zones 5 to 8.
Winter heath requires full sun, although it’ll enjoy a bit of shade in the afternoon in hotter zones, and soil that’s moist and loamy but not soggy.
It grows 12 to 18 inches high and spreads two to three feet, making an excellent ground cover.
Additional Considerations
After you’ve sketched out a plan and made your selections, but before you purchase your shrubs and break ground, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind.
First, ensure that you are in fact able to plant in the strip of land between the sidewalk and the road in front of your house.
Renters are always encouraged to check with their landlords before digging, and local utility companies should also be consulted if you risk hitting wires or pipes that are buried underground.
While some neighborhoods allow residents to plant anything they wish outside their residences, others are more strict, allowing only grass to be planted in the curb lawn or certain types of trees or shrubs.
Make sure whatever you wish to plant is approved in your area and that it isn’t deemed invasive, or likely to crowd out other plants.
Plants that drop blossoms or berries may create a nuisance for passers-by, and any with sharp thorns may pose a hazard for pedestrians if they are not carefully pruned, or if curious children or dogs are out playing in the neighborhood.
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Laura Ojeda Melchor
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