SEASIDE PLANTING
Few persons other than those who have actually been engaged in the
work have the remotest idea of the difficulties to be encountered
in the formation of belts and plantations on exposed and wind-swept
seaside ground. To plant young trees around many parts of the coast of
the British Isles, particularly where wide stretches of open seaboard
are to be dealt with, without first erecting a shelter-screen of
some kind or other, is useless work, and only productive of the most
unsatisfactory results.
That there are not a few districts, however, where such a preliminary
would be needless is well known, all that is required in certain
instances being, first of all, to prepare the ground, and secondly, to
suit the trees to the soil and situation, seeing that some varieties
succeed better than others in certain soils and sites.
From experience I have found out how useless it is to plant in a
haphazard way, at least, on the more exposed seaboards along the west
coast, whereas, by careful manipulation, I have been successful in
getting up shelter where before it was deemed almost an impossibility.
The chief consideration in seaside planting is unquestionably shelter,
be it only of a temporary kind, for it may be noticed anywhere along
our coast that, wherever the direct force of the hurricane is broken,
there trees and shrubs are growing best. Another evil—a great one,
too—with which the planter has to contend is the injurious effect
on trees, but more particularly on evergreen shrubs, of the saline
particles which are driven and deposited with such force on the leaves
and branches as in many instances to give them the appearance of having
been scorched or cut over when in full vigour by an untimely frost.
Wind-shaking, although a minor evil, must also be carefully guarded
against, so that at the outset it is well to have the trees, except
such as are of dwarf size, securely staked and tied, so as to obviate
the dire results occasioned to the roots of newly-planted trees when
the stems are allowed to rock to and fro with the wind.
Before commencing planting operations on the sandy and exposed
sea-coast, the preliminary step is to erect a barrier of some kind,
which will intercept the violence of the wind, and act as a screen
or shelter to the young plants. For this purpose various kinds of
erections are equally suitable, but that usually adopted, especially
where loose sand alone is present, is a strong paling fence thatched
with brushwood. The posts should if possible be 6 ft. above ground and
about 12 ft. apart, the paling-rails, two in number, being securely
nailed to these at 2 ft. and 5 ft. from the ground; against this are
placed spruce or gorse trimmings, these being 6 ft. long if possible,
in an upright manner, and firmly tied to the crossbars by means of
binding wire or strong tarred rope. This may best be described as a
dead fence, but it is, nevertheless, quite as valuable for the purpose
required as a perfectly developed living hedge. By means of this a
great advantage is gained and a favourable start for the newly-planted
trees is secured. Then, compared with a stone wall, or, in fact, a
wall of any kind, this screen-fence is greatly superior, the wind
being broken up in passing through it, and, what is of as much value,
also relieved of its saline particles, at least to a very considerable
extent.
Where the shore is almost destitute of sand, and where certain kinds of
vegetation subsist, I find it to be a capital plan to substitute for
the dead fence just described that composed of turf and earth.
The raised mound should be not less than 5 ft. in height, and of
sufficient width at top to allow of the planting of a double line
of such plants as have been found most suitable for the wind-swept
maritime situation in which they are to be used. For this purpose few
plants equal, and certainly none surpass, the Sea Buckthorn (_Hippophæ
rhamnoides_), Tamarisk (_Tamarix gallica_), the common elder, hazel,
whitethorn, and at least three species of willow—_Salix Caprea_, _S.
helix_, and _S. alba_. Immediately behind this screen, pits of not
less than 2 ft. in diameter and about 18 in. in depth may be formed,
and it will be all the better if some time is allowed to elapse before
they are planted. The bottom and side of each pit should, where found
necessary, be loosed with a pick, and if the soil is found to be of
very inferior quality, it will be well, more especially where such can
be readily obtained, to add a spadeful or two from some adjoining field.
Planting should not be commenced before March or April, an early start
at growth being much in favour of young trees that have recently been
transferred to the sea-coast. The plants to be used should not exceed,
say, 12 to 15 in. in height, but of strong growth in proportion to
their size, and supplied with an abundance of fibrous roots. Lanky,
ill-grown, and coddled plants have but a poor chance of succeeding
under such adverse circumstances.
In planting, keep the strongest roots seaward, and do not place the
trees at a greater depth in the soil than that at which they stood
whilst in the nursery border. The failure to use this precaution is
a mistake, and is productive of anything but favourable results.
Immediately behind this raised mound of turf, or the dead fence
of branches above described, the best trees for withstanding the
first brunt of the sea-breeze are the sycamore, elm, elder, and
willow amongst hardwoods, and the Austrian and cluster pines (_Pinus
austriaca_ and _P. Pinaster_), to which might be added _P. laricio_,
_P. sylvestris_, and _P. montana_, amongst conifers. These are all
well-tried subjects, and may be relied upon as peculiarly suited
for doing battle with hard-blowing and long-continued storms on the
sea-coast.
Regarding the merits of the cluster pine for seaside planting, it would
be almost superfluous for me to speak; while the elm and sycamore send
out their stout branches into the very teeth of the blast, and are
known as peculiarly well suited for such situations.
The following list includes such trees and shrubs as have, from long
experience, been found well suited for planting on cold and wind-swept
shores, and the trees are arranged according to their value in this
respect.
HARDWOODS
The =Sycamore= (_Acer Pseudo-platanus_) is, without doubt, the most
valuable hard-wooded tree of timber size that I have come across for
planting in exposed seaside situations. It succeeds well, even at
highwater mark, the stout, twiggy branches being thrown out into the
very face of the blast. Even during winter, and in a leafless state,
the amount of shelter afforded by this tree is quite surprising. Taking
everything into consideration—its great hardihood, and suitability to
various soils and situations, I consider the sycamore the most valuable
of any deciduous tree that I have yet tried for seaside planting.
The =Elder= (_Sambucus nigra_) is, amongst small-growing trees, the
best for planting in exposed seaside districts. Its powers of endurance
are even greater than those of the sycamore, although the amount of
shelter it affords is by no means so great. Where its branches are
constantly exposed to the saline-laden breeze, and its roots amongst
almost pure sand, it grows and thrives in a manner that is quite
surprising. With the greatest advantages have I used the elder as a
wind-break on some of the most exposed and desolate coasts of the
British Isles. Even where grown as a single specimen, it seems to
disregard the angry blast and saline particles with which it is almost
constantly pelted—a fact that may be verified, in not one, but several
stations along the coast. Then, what tree is of readier culture than
the elder, succeeds better in poor, sandy soils, or spreads about to an
equal extent?
The =Norway Maple= (_Acer platanoides_) stands the first brunt of the
sea-breeze in a most commendable way—indeed, it may be recommended
as one of the most hardy and valuable trees for the purpose under
consideration that could be named. On the western coast of England,
and in a very exposed and wind-swept district, I have used it with the
greatest success in the formation of plantations, as it is of rapid
growth and soon forms an excellent shelter to the other less hardy
kinds of trees. It is by no means particular as to soil, but succeeds
all the better if this is fairly rich.
The =Winged Elm= (_Ulmus alata_).—From a long experience of this, at
present, little-known tree, I have every confidence in recommending it
as one of the most valuable trees for planting in cold, wind-tortured,
and maritime districts that have yet found their way into this country.
Where many of our hardiest trees are bent and shrinking from the blast,
this elm stands nobly out, and seems to defy both winds and storm.
The =Huntingdon Willow= (_Salix alba_) and =Bedford Willow= (_S.
Russelliana_), but particularly the former, are excellent trees for
windy shores. In many places along the coast the Huntingdon willow may
be seen in a most flourishing and happy condition, and that, too, where
the surroundings are the reverse of favourable. It is a tree of quick
growth, and will succeed well in any class of soil if it be not too
damp. In one instance that came under my notice, the trees were planted
on a promontory overhanging the sea and in such a situation that they
were almost constantly subjected to rough-blowing winds coming in from
the Irish Sea, and yet they have grown with the greatest freedom, and
to-day look as healthy and happy as if planted in some sheltered inland
situation.
The =Beam Tree= (_Pyrus Aria_) is another excellent small-growing tree
for planting in sites where, from cold saline blasts, few others could
eke out even a miserable existence.
On the limestone cliffs of the Great Orme’s Head this handsome and
hardy tree grows in a most surprising way—indeed, with the exception of
one or two species of willow, I question very much whether any other
tree could exist under the trying circumstances. The hard and leathery
leaves seem as if specially constructed for bearing storms, and, being
plentifully produced, render a great amount of shelter to other trees.
The =Goat Willow= (_Salix Caprea_), for planting in almost pure sand
on the sea-coast, is a most valuable small-growing tree, and it is so
hardy that, without the least risk of harm, it may be planted at great
altitudes, and in very exposed situations. In several of the maritime
plantations that I have formed, this willow was used with remarkable
success in the outer line or screen.
The =Aspen= (_Populus tremula_) is an excellent shore-tree, one
that can withstand a great amount of rough usage, and as hardy and
fast-growing a subject as could well be desired. In the formation
of several exposed seaside woods on the west coast of England I
planted the aspen largely, and, I may add, the results have been most
satisfactory.
=P. canadensis=, =P. alba=, and =P. nigra= are likewise worthy of
extended culture, for they succeed well by the seaside. They all stand
the breeze from the sea, are perfectly hardy, and afford a great amount
of shelter.
The =Mountain Ash= (_Pyrus Aucuparia_).—Although valueless, or
nearly so, for the quantity of timber it produces, yet, as a hardy,
free-growing tree, the mountain ash, or rowan tree, merits attention
from planters of exposed seaside land. All along the coast of Great
Britain this pretty tree may be found growing luxuriantly, and in such
situations affording a great amount of shelter to other less hardy
kinds of trees and shrubs. It may be planted without fear of harm,
down even to highwater mark, and where the soil is of the poorest
description. It is thus one of the most useful of trees for planting as
shelter along the roughest and most wind-tortured parts of the coast.
The =Hoary Alder= (_Alnus incana_) and the =Common Alder= (_A.
glutinosa_) can hardly be excelled for planting in wet portions of
cold, wind-swept ground, and in the vicinity of the sea. Both trees
grow with the greatest freedom, and are perfectly hardy, standing the
first brunt of the saline blasts in a most commendable and praiseworthy
manner.
I have found it to be a good plan where shelter is wanted on bare
coast-tracts, if the quality of soil be at all suitable, to plant the
alders pretty closely, and when they have attained to 15 ft. or 20 ft.
in height, to cut every alternate one over at ground level. By so doing
a number of stout shoots are thrown out early in the following spring,
which, as they grow with great rapidity, soon fill up the blanks
occasioned by cutting over the young trees.
After these have had several years’ growth the remaining half of the
original crop should be cut over, and when all have started from the
stools a first-class shelter is obtained. Of course, damp portions of
the ground should be selected on which to plant the alder.
The =English Maple= (_Acer campestre_) can well hold its own as a tree
for planting on exposed seaside grounds. It is one of the hardiest
trees with which I am acquainted, growing on exposed hillsides and at
considerable elevations in a way that seems to attract the attention of
every one.
Hedges or fringe fences of the native maple have succeeded amazingly
in several maritime woods in which it was planted, and in places, too,
where the wind blew loud and long.
The =Scotch Elm= (_Ulmus montana_) comes next on the list of such trees
as I would recommend for the purpose under consideration. It affords
plenty of shelter, as it grows freely from the root-stock, sending up
numerous suckers, and is so hardy and proof against damage from storms
that it may safely be planted in wind-swept districts by the seaside.
=Birch= (_Betula alba_) and =Ash= (_Fraxinus excelsior_) are other
trees that repeated experiments have proved to be well suited for
withstanding the ocean’s blast and for planting in poor, rocky soils.
The =Turkey Oak= (_Quercus Cerris_), with just a small amount of
shelter, will be found a most valuable tree for planting within the
influence of the sea. It thrives well in very poor soils, and when in
full leaf is capable of affording a great amount of shelter.
The =Evergreen Oak= (_Q. Ilex_) has proved itself to be peculiarly
fitted for planting as shelter in exposed and maritime districts. In
the formation of seaside plantations, but particularly where, from
the frequency and force of the storms, few trees can succeed, I have
planted the evergreen oak with the greatest success.
The trees just treated of have no equals, among such as have yet been
introduced, for withstanding cold seaside winds, a trial of many other
varieties only resulting in proving their unfitness for planting in
such situations. Two or three others, such as the =English Oak=,
=Hornbeam=, =Beech= and =English Elm=, might be added to the list,
but they can only be recommended for planting where at least partial
shelter is afforded.
CONIFERÆ
Foremost amongst these I must, from long personal experience and a fair
trial of several kinds under exactly similar conditions in every way,
place the =Austrian Pine= (_Pinus austriaca_). It grows with unusual
freedom, and affords a greater amount of shelter than any other tree
with which I am at present acquainted.
That it will succeed equally well with the _P. Pinaster_ when subjected
to the sea-breeze, I am now fully convinced, while the amount of
shelter it affords, and rapidity of growth, place it far ahead of that
species for the purpose we are now considering. It may not succeed so
well as the Pinaster when planted in pure sand, on the sea-coast, and
this is the only point that can be adduced in favour of the latter
species over _P. austriaca_.
In forming many large woods along the coast of Northern England I used
the Austrian pine in preference to several others, and happily, too,
for it has succeeded in a surprising manner, trees of ten years’ growth
being fully 13 ft. in height, and nearly as much in diameter of branch
spread. With such a screen as that afforded by the hardy Austrian,
many half-tender trees can be planted farther inland; and this is the
method of procedure that I have found to be most successful in getting
up shelter along bare and fully exposed parts of the shores of Western
England and Scotland.
The =Cluster Pine= (_P. Pinaster_) and its smaller-growing variety
_P. maritima_ have a world-wide reputation for their suitability
for planting on exposed seaside tracts of ground. That they are of
great value for planting on sandy wastes is a fact that cannot be
gainsaid—indeed, few other trees could succeed or eke out an existence
in pure sand and where the roots come in contact with the salt water.
A great drawback to this pine is its long tap-root and want of fibrous
roots; it transplants with difficulty, but this, as in various other
species of pine, may be greatly obviated by careful nursery management.
In my own opinion the typical tree is hardly equal to the variety
_maritima_ either for shelter or withstanding the sea-breeze. The
variety, too, is, if anything, the most valuable for shelter-giving, it
having a much greater inclination to retain the lower branches intact.
The =Corsican Pine= (_P. laricio_) quite equals the Austrian in its
powers of withstanding long-continued and cold winds. That it does not
succeed so well on the sea-coast is a fact of which, from repeated
experiments, I am fully aware. The Corsican pine, too, is a valuable
timber-producer—a fact that is well worthy of consideration in
extensive planting.
In the =Giant Arborvitæ= (_Thuja gigantea_) we have another excellent
addition to the list of trees that have been found suitable for
planting on exposed maritime grounds. It grows with great rapidity, and
I have never found even a solitary example of this tree having been
uprooted or injured during the most severe storms. On the sea-coast of
Wales I have used the giant arborvitæ largely in the formation of woods
and plantations, and with great success. It transplants well, even when
of large size, and is readily propagated.
=Pinus montana= may also be recommended for afforesting tracts
of ground by the sea-coast. It is a tree of undoubted hardihood,
withstanding cold and cutting winds in a worthy manner.
The =Scotch Pine= (_P. sylvestris_), though by no means equal to the
above for planting by the seaside, must on no account be omitted from
our list, for it is a hardy, fast-growing specimen, and one that can
do battle with very severe and long-lasting storms. It should not be
planted where it will meet the first brunt of the storm, but given a
little shelter, such as that afforded by the above-named kinds. The
varieties of pine just named may all be relied upon as peculiarly well
fitted for the purpose under consideration.
The =Large-fruited Cypress= (_Cupressus macrocarpa_) and =Pinus
insignis= might be added to the list, both being well suited for
maritime planting—inland, however, they cannot be relied upon. _Pinus
insignis_ grows with unabated vigour on the wind-swept coast of the
Isle of Anglesey, and stands the breeze in a most surprising and
praiseworthy manner.
The =Atlantic Cedar= (_Cedrus atlantica_) and =Swiss Stone Pine=
(_Pinus Cembra_) do fairly well as seaside trees.
SHRUBS
The =Sea Buckthorn= (_Hippophea rhamnoides_) is unquestionably the
best all-round shrub for planting as a shelter by the sea-coast with
which we are acquainted. To see it in several districts of Scotland,
growing amongst almost pure sand, and where constantly exposed to
fierce blasts, shows how valuable a shrub it is for exposed maritime
situations. For affording shelter it is one of the best shrubs that I
know of, the unusually twiggy branches sifting and dividing up the wind
in a most remarkable manner.
=Tamarix gallica= and =T. germanica= are two excellent seaside shrubs,
and such as are well suited for planting on exposed places. They grow
with great freedom, transplant well, and are readily propagated. Even
in pure sand they seem quite at home, growing freely, and producing a
rich abundance of their showy flowers. In very exposed parts of the
coast, and when fully open to direct sea-blasts, we have frequently
seen the tamarisk fully a dozen feet in height, and nearly as much in
branch-spread. Though little known _T. germanica_ is a most valuable
seaside shrub, about 6 ft. in height, with small leaves, and spikes of
conspicuous red flowers.
The =Box Thorn= (_Lycium europæum_) may be introduced without fear of
harm to the seaside woods, for it is not only perfectly hardy in such
situations, but it bears constant exposure to wind as well as any shrub
I know of. Hedges of this plant have been formed in many maritime parts
of England and Wales, the only support being a few stakes driven in
here and there along the line of fence. It will grow in pure sand, and
when lashed by the waves.
The =Snowberry= (_Symphoricarpus racemosus_) comes next on the
list of shrubs that have been found suitable for the purpose under
consideration. It is a plant of extraordinary hardihood, one that
increases rapidly from the root-stock and affords a fair amount of
shelter.
The =Tree Mallow= (_Lavatera arborea_) can hardly be surpassed for
shore planting, where it frequently attains to a height of 10 ft. It
has been found of great utility in some of the islands along the coast
of Scotland.
=Spirea Adiantifolia= is a fitting companion for the latter, growing
and flowering very freely in wind-swept gardens along the Scottish
coast.
=Griselinia littoralis= has stood a severe test as to its capability
for withstanding cold winds blowing in from the sea.
The =Dogwood= (_Cornus sanguinea_) and =Flowering Currant= (_Ribes
sanguineum_) are, likewise, excellent seaside shrubs, of perfect
hardihood and readily propagated.
The =Tree Purslane= (_Atriplex halimus_) is also a really valuable
shrub that is totally indifferent to the salt spray, and from its
dwarf, evergreen nature, and silvery-scaly leaves, is also more or less
ornamental. It does not seem to mind either wind blowing direct from
the sea, or whether the soil in which it is planted is of only moderate
quality.
The =Laurustinus= (_Viburnum tinus_).—Where the situation is not too
exposed, this is a most valuable and ornamental shrub.
=Lilac= of various species are well adapted for planting by the
seaside, the two kinds most to be recommended being the =Common= and
=Persian= (_Syringa vulgaris_ and _S. Persica_).
The =Spanish Broom= (_Spartium junceum_) has been used with the
greatest success all along the coast, being perfectly hardy, and an
excellent subject for cold, draughty positions.
The =Tree Groundsel= (_Baccharis halimifolia_) is not only a shrub of
great beauty, but one that is perfectly hardy, and well adapted for
planting by the seaside. It will thrive in almost pure sand, but it is
all the better for a poor gravelly loam, and seems to delight in the
ozone of the seaside atmosphere.
Both the =Portugal Laurel= (_Prunus lusitanica_) and =Sweet-Bay=
(_Laurus nobilis_) are valuable evergreen shrubs for seaside planting.
From their large size and compact habit, they afford a great amount of
shelter.
The =Common Holly= (_Ilex aquifolium_) and its golden form both do well
at the seaside, and this may also be said of the =Common= and =Scotch
Laburnums=. They may be used with best advantage where the direct force
of the blast is broken up.
The =Common Gorse= (_Ulex europæus_) and the =Broom= (_Cytisus
scoparius_) should on no account be omitted from our list of shrubs
that are valuable for maritime wastes where the wind exerts its full
power.
The above shrubs include the principal of such as can be recommended
for planting along the sea-coast, but where good shelter is afforded
by the trees named in this chapter, a few others might be recommended
for trial. These include the =Strawberry Tree= (_Arbutus unedo_),
=Euonymus japonicus=, =Berberis Darwinii=, =Ligustrum Ovalifolium=,
=Daphne Mezereon=, and =D. laureola=, =Ruscus aculeatus=, =Hypericum
calycinum=, =Vinca major= and =V. minor=, and several kinds of thorn.
The =Maram=, or =Sea Matweed= (_Psamma arenaria_) is one of the most
useful grasses with which I am acquainted for binding shifting sands on
the sea-coast. Not only so, but by using it as a pioneer, the amount
of shelter it affords renders other more difficult subjects by no means
hard to cultivate. It usually attains to a height of from 2 ft. to
2½ ft., much depending on the situation, whether partially sheltered
or fully exposed. The root-stock creeps widely, some specimens that
have been followed up in the sand being of the amazing length of 35
yards. Amongst loose and drifting sand the running roots find what is
most suitable for the welfare of the plant, and it is astonishing with
what persistency they bind in an unusually short space of time these
shifting hills of almost dust-dry sand. In planting, place the plants
in parallel lines, about 16 in. apart, and at a distance of 12 in.
from each other. Large plants may be subdivided to almost any extent.
A garden line is stretched along the ground, a notch 10 in. deep taken
out, the grass inserted therein and filled with sand, and afterwards
firmly trodden. That the sea matweed is a most useful plant for fast
gaining a footing on sandy tracts of sea-coast, and thus allowing of
following up with the shelter-giving trees, cannot be disputed.
The =Lymegrass= (_Elymus arenarius_) is also valuable for growing in
almost pure sand on the sea-coast.
It is of tall, elegant growth, and is readily increased from root
divisions.
The following trees and shrubs, alphabetically arranged, are
recommended for seaside planting:—
TREES FOR THE SEA-COAST.
Acer campestre Pinus Pinaster maritima
—— creticum Populus canadensis
—— Pseudo-platanus —— nigra
Alnus glutinosa —— nigra
—— incana Pyrus Aucuparia
Betula alba —— Aria
Carpinus betulus Quercus Ilex
Cedrus atlantica —— Robur
Cupressus macrocarpa Salix alba
Fagus sylvatica —— Caprea
Fraxinus excelsior —— Forsteriana
Pinus austriaca —— Russelliana
—— laricio Thuja gigantea
—— montana Ulmus alata
—— Pinaster —— campestris
—— montana
SHRUBS FOR THE SEA-COAST.
Atriplex halimus Lavatera arborea
Aucuba japonica Lycium europæum
Cerasus lusitanica Rhamnus frangula
—— Padus Ribes sanguineum
Cytisus Laburnum Rosa spinosissima
—— scoparius Shepherdia argentea
Euonymus japonicus Spirea adiantifolia
—— europæus Syringa persica
Fabiana imbricata —— vulgaris
Griselinia littoralis Symphoricarpus racemosus
Hippophæ rhamnoides Tamarix gallica
Ilex Aquifolium —— germanica
—— Aquifolium aurea Ulex Europæus
Laurus nobilis Viburnum tinus
GRASSES.
Elymus arenarius
Psamma arenaria