Coastal Landscapes
There’s a budding trend towards coastal landscaping that enhances the environment.
The Coastal Landscapes Initiative, or CLI, is a collaborative effort to address landscaping at every stage of the process, from planning and design to installation and management. The ultimate goal is to foster coastal landscapes that are beautiful, functional, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly.
Partners draw on their expertise and connections across myriad disciplines, including horticulture science and business, ecology and wildlife, landscape architecture, design and contracting, economics and education.
To learn more about the CLI, check out this article from the Winter 2018 issue of Coastwatch magazine.
CLI Resources
- Greening Your Space: Creating Eco-Friendly Container Gardens for Coastal North Carolina
- NC Coastal Landscaping: A Native Plant Guide — booklet and brochure.
- Bringing Native Plants into Coastal Landscapes: Perspectives from Landscaping Professionals — informational webinar.
- Notable North Carolina Coastal Landscaping — a map of model sites.
- Creating Model Gardens & Landscaping: Checklist for Demonstration Sites.
- NC Coastal Landscaping: A Guide for Your Yard — informational webinar.
- Virtual Science Cafe: Landscaping Inspired by Nature — tips from CLI members.
- Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community — fact sheet for local leaders.
- Trees & Plants: Common Terms to Know — fact sheet for local leaders.
- Trees & Plants: Actions and Resources — fact sheet for local leaders.
Additional Resources
Plant Information
- Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas (UNC Press, in association with N.C. Sea Grant)
- NC State Extension Plant Database (To find plants from N.C. Sea Grant’s native plant guide, enter “highly beneficial coastal plants” into the search bar.)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Database
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Plant Name Pronunciation Guide (Fine Gardening)
- Tree Owner’s Manual (N.C. Urban Forest Council)
Native Plants
- Native Plants for Coastal North Carolina Landscapes (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
- Native Plants for SE Coastal NC Urban Sites, from NC Cooperative Extension
- N.C. Native Plant Society
- Going Native (NC State)
- Native Plant Gallery (N.C. Native Plant Society)
- Native Plant Finder — ranks species by number of butterfly/moth species that use them as host plants for their larvae (National Wildlife Federation)
Design
Attracting Wildlife and Pollinators
- Native Plants and Every Gardener’s Role in Fostering Biodiversity (The Ohio State University)
- Pollinator Garden Design (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
- Bird-Friendly North Carolina Plants (Audubon)
- Native Plants for Birds of the Coastal Plain (Audubon North Carolina)
- Garden for Wildlife (National Wildlife Federation)
- Butterfly Highway (National Wildlife Federation)
- Wildlife Habitats at School (National Wildlife Federation)
Stormwater Management and Storm Resilience
- Rainscaping Guides (NC Water Resources Research Institute)
- Rainwater Harvesting (NC State Cooperative Extension)
- Backyard Rain Garden Guide (NC State Cooperative Extension)
- Smart Yards: Simple DIY Solutions to Reduce Stormwater Pollution (N.C. Coastal Federation)
- Storm Damage to Trees (NC State Cooperative Extension)
Sustainable Design
Where to Buy
- Buy N.C. Plants
- Milkweed Seed Finder (Xerxes Society)
- Eastern NC Retail Nursery Sources for Native Plants
- Nurseries (N.C. Native Plant Society)
Invasive Species
Expert Advice
- Ask an Expert (NC State Cooperative Extension)
Contact
For general questions, or to find out how to join these efforts, please contact Gloria Putnam at gfputnam@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0117.
North Carolina Sea Grant Team
- Barbara Doll, Water Protection and Restoration Specialist
- Jane Harrison, Coastal Economics Specialist
- Christy Perrin, Sustainable Waters and Communities Coordinator
- Gloria Putnam, Coastal Resources and Communities Specialist
Partners
- Audubon North Carolina
- B+O Design Studio, PLLC
- Central Coastal Plain Chapter of the NC Native Plant Society
- SE Chapter of the NC Native Plant Society
- Habitats Gardens, LLC
- North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute
- NC Aquariums
- NC Botanical Garden
- NC State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- NC State University College of Design
- NC State University College of Natural Resources
- NC State University Cooperative Extension
- NC State University Department of Horticulture
- UNC Coastal Studies Institute
- UNC Wilmington
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service