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What Flowers Grow on the Shores of the Atlantic Ocean?

Flowers and plants that grow on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean don't have an easy life. They have to contend with salt-laden winds from the ocean, and live in sandy soil that's not fertile and may also have a great deal of salt in it. Some of them deal with the harsh conditions by having succulent leaves that retain water, or by growing prostrate or as vines.

The Asters
- The New York aster is a branching plant with narrow leaves and many flowerheads bearing violet-blue rayed flowers. It grows from 8 to 36 inches high and is found on the shore and low areas along the coast from Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and south to Georgia. The panicled aster has white flowerheads and grows from 2 to 5 feet tall and shares the same habitat as the New York aster. The salt marsh aster is a weak, straggly plant with only a few flower heads with white or purple rayed flowers. It grows from 1 to 2 feet tall and blooms from August to October along the coast from New Hampshire to Florida.
The Yellow Thistle and Seaside Goldenrod
- The yellow thistle has a tall branching stem, 1 to 5 feet high, with large yellow flowerheads and spiny leaves. It flowers from May to August on the shore from southern Maine to Florida. Seaside goldenrod has succulent leaves with branches that have one-sided clusters of large, bright yellow flowerheads. The plant grows from 1 to 8 feet tall along the coast from Newfoundland to Florida.
Sea Rocket and Beach Heather
- Sea rocket grows on the beach from southern Labrador along the coast to Florida. It's a plant found behind the high-tide line of beaches. The seed pod is rocket-shaped and its flower is pale lavender. It grows from 6 to 10 inches high and flowers from July to September. Beach heather is a low, matted plant with yellow flowers on the tops of short branches. It blooms from May to July and is found from New Brunswick south along the coast to North Carolina.
Railroad Vine and Beach Pea
- Railroad vine is a member of the morning glory family and grows in the coastal sand dunes from Georgia to Florida. It was introduced from the West Indies and sometimes grows almost to the water's edge. The vine has a creeping stem that bears showy purple or reddish funnel-shaped flowers. Beach pea is a trailing vine that grows from 1 to 2 feet long with pink-lavender pea-like flowers. The leaves are thick, fleshy and oval. It flowers from June to August from coastal Labrador down to New England and New Jersey.

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