What is Coastal WildScaping?
Coastal WildScaping is a process to restore and preserve the biodiversity of our coastal habitats. A common definition of landscaping is modifying a natural landscape. The principles of WildScaping are somewhat the reverse; they include reintroducing parts of our natural landscapes (habitats) that are missing and removing introduced exotic/invasive species. For more ways you can help, click here.
Coastal WildScaping creates and sustains beautiful landscapes that make a functional contribution to the biodiversity of the Southern Coastal Plain. One garden, one yard, one green-space may seem small, but think of the natural world as a living mosaic and your garden as an integral connecting piece. You will see that each home’s landscape and managed land has an influence on the rest of the natural world. A wide diversity of native plants and wildlife is essential, not only to our health, but to our survival.
Our gardens, managed landscapes and natural areas are a part of the coastal ecosystems that sustain humans and the life around us. We must keep them in good working order. Tending land in this crowded world carries both moral and ecological responsibilities that we must not ignore.
Native Plant Lists and Information
- Trees Supporting Coastal Habitats and Wildlife
- Native Shrubs Supporting Coastal Habitats and Wildlife
- Native Ferns & Vines For Coastal Gardens
- Native Perennials & Annuals for Coastal Gardens
- Coastal Perennials for Moist Soils & Wetland Areas
- Coastal Woody Plants Supporting Butterfly & Moth Biodiversity
- Invasive Plants of High Concern for Coastal Habitats
Wildlife Lists and Information
Resources
Principles of Coastal WildScaping
- Practice responsible garden ethics and stewardship
- Support coastal biodiversity
- Provide wildlife habitats
- Utilize regional native plants
- Remove invasive exotic species
- Conserve water
- Practice erosion control
- Reduce rainwater runoff
- Eliminate or reduce chemical fertilizers and pesticides
- Enhance our “sense of place”
- Add beauty to your world
“Subtract flowers from the world and the whole world is dead from a human point of view. The nonflowering plants on earth include the mosses, liverworts, conifers, cycads, ferns, and gingko trees. Almost every other plant, everything we and other animals eat, requires a flower for reproduction.
We know that flowers are beautiful. We forget that they are also essential.”
From Anatomy of a Rose by Sharman Apt Russell