Sandy soil can be especially frustrating. Luckily, there are ways to manage sandy soil. And, surprisingly, there are a number of sandy soil plants that can even thrive in these conditions.
Learn about these sand tolerant plants in this article. Succulent plants need sandy soil to thrive. Clay soils would kill them. Sand-loving plants include cacti, sedums, lamb’s ears, coreopsis, purple coneflower, and euphorbias.
Why Can Some Plants Grow In Sand And Others Can’t?
Desert plants store water in their roots and stems. Spiny plants use their spines to protect themselves from predators. Plants with thick leaves need less water than plants with thinner leaves.
Plants need water to survive. Their roots help them hold on when it’s windy or wet. In New Zealand, there are two types of sand. Quartz sand is acidic, while basalt sand is alkaline.
Sand is made up of tiny pieces called grains. Each grain has different properties, such as size, shape, hardness, and chemical composition. By combining these characteristics, we get different types of sands. For instance, if the sand is very fine and hard, then it is considered silica sand.
This type of sand is found mostly in deserts. When you mix sand with water, the resulting mixture is known as silt. Silt is usually used for gardening purposes because it doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals. On the other hand, when sand gets wetted by rain, it forms mud.
General Plants That Grow Well In Sand
Bearded irises are hardy perennials that grow well in most soils. Their rhizomes multiply quickly, so divide them every few years. They bloom in late spring and early fall, and some varieties are rebloomers.
Black eyed susan is a must have in your yard. It produces a yellow daisy-like flower with black center topped off at three feet tall. ‘Goldsturm’ Is a popular variety blooming from midsummer till fall.
Russian sage is a purple blue colored bloom opening mid-late summer on 3-4′ spikes and easy to maintain and reliable color makes it a sandy soil favourite. Salvia is a purple blue colored flower with white dots on top of it and grows up to four feet tall.
Salvia is a perennial herbaceous plant native to North America. It is usually found growing along roadsides or near streams. It is commonly called sagebrush or simply sage. It is used in cooking and herbal medicine.
It is also known by many common names, including American sage, California sage, Colorado sage, Mexican sage, New Mexico sage, Oregon sage, Spanish sage, Utah sage, and Western sage.
Plants For Sandy Humid Conditions
Lavender is a perennial plant that loves the hot, sunny conditions of the south. Joe Pye weed tolerates some shade but prefers full sun. Both lavender and phlox grow well in sand, although phlox does better in more moisture-retentive soils. Milkweed grows best in sandy soil.
Sandy Plants That Grow In Different Shades
These plants are tough and hardy. They’ll do great in any garden. They’re sold in a rainbow of beautiful colors! Delphiniums are hardy perennials that grow up to 3 feet tall. Their flowers bloom in shades of blue, violet, white, pink, purple, red, yellow, orange, and even green.
Sand Plants That Attract Wildlife
Plants such as these are easy to care for and great for wildlife. They are low maintenance and beautiful all year long. Bearded Irises are perfect for attracting butterflies. Black Eyed Susans are great for attracting birds. Butterflies love butterfly weed.
Christmas ferns are great for attracting butterflies. Joe Pye weeds are great for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Lavender attracts bees. Russian sage attracts butterflies. Salvia attracts butterflies which is striking.
Joe Pye Weed native perennial plant that provides late season food for hungry pollinators, and Sedum is a succulent perennial plant that is built to conserve moisture.
What Plants Grow In Beach Sand?
Plants that grow in beach sand include American beachgrass. These plants have long narrow leaves that can fold up when faced with extreme heat or cold.
Their stomata are located near the top of the leaf, so they can face the sun without getting burned. The leaves of these plants are also covered with tiny hairs called trichomes that help them absorb moisture.
Palm trees grow directly in sand on the beach. Palm trees come in a variety of shapes, some are tall and others grow wide, almost like a bush. Palm plants can be found in over 100 species, though not all of them live in beach sand.
Tropical and subtropical climates are typical for palm trees to grow in southern areas. The sand on the beach is often covered with palm trees in many warm locations across the world.
The southeastern and western regions of the United States are home to the majority of palm trees, as well as many coastal areas.
Sea Rockets are another type of plant found on sandy beaches. The leaves and flowers of this perennial are pink, white, purple or purple-blue in color. The species grows along the high tide line or in the dunes and tolerates poor nutrient levels and strong winds.
Water disperses the seeds over great distances after they are broken open. Pampas Grass is native to South America but was introduced to other parts of the world. In addition to sandy areas and coastal dunes, it can be found in a variety of habitats.
Thousands of seeds are produced each year. These seeds are light and dispersed by the wind over great distances.
Seedlings possess adaptations that make them drought resistant, such as increasing water uptake and reducing water loss by reducing the area of their leaves. These adaptations endanger native species due to their invasiveness.
Another fascinating plant is the beach saltbush. The rough oval greyish green leaves have white-tinged scaly surfaces and are borne on slender branching stems on low-growing perennials. This plant is a species of goosefoot.
It grows in sand dunes near the shore and is highly salt tolerant and drought tolerant. The leaves of succulents excrete excess salt via glands. Succulents are found both at sea and in wetlands.
Related: Is Sand Good For Lawns? (and What Type of Sand for Lawns Is Best)
Why Is Sand Good For Some Plants?
Sand is the perfect planting medium for many kinds of plants. It is warm in the spring, and it doesn’t attract any nasty weeds. Digging in sand is simple, and it takes less time than digging in other types of soil.
Sand also warms up quickly in the spring, but you still need to add compost or something else to make sure your plants get what they need. Sand-filled containers should be watered regularly. Organic materials help to retain water. Containers filled with sand tend to dry out.
Summary
Having read through all the interesting facts and information about the different types of sand plants that exist in the world today, you should now know their characteristics and why they grow where they do.
Be sure to share any knowledge you have learnt to other people and impress them all whenever you see one of these down at the beach or in the sand dunes.
The majority of people who have no interest in the subject, and aren’t green fingered assume that all plants and vegetables require the same growing conditions. This is not the case at all. Each plant has its own unique and interesting history and growing process.
I hope you will find The Natural List useful, and that it will help educate you on the wide variety of different flower and plant species there are across the globe.
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