Re: sea front gardening:Brugmansia and Bougainvillea

--- "William A. Grant" <grant@cruzio.com> wrote:
> Has anyone had luck with brugmansia along the
> seacoast? On the French Riviera, one sees them
> everywhere, right close to the surf. 
> grant@cruzio.com
> 
William,
Brugmansias do very well in mild maritime climates, as
they prefer cool to warm,(not hot) night time
temperatures year round, and thrive on the humidity. 
Brugmansia sanguinea is one species which would
probably not do well in the warmer Costa del Sol or
French Riviera, but very well in cooler Sintra,
Portugal.  This species is rarely found in southern
California, as it requires cool nights and moderately
cool days, (no 80 to 90F temps for this one). 
However, they are all intolerant of wind, and the
foliage and flowers will never look their best if they
are subjected to strong winds off the ocean, or
accumulated salts on the foliage and soil.  I saw some
fabulous specimens along the Costa del Sol, Spain, but
the geography of the region around Marbella and Malaga
struck me as being much less windy than most of
coastal California, where we have regular on shore
breezes/wind, almost all year, but particularly in the
warmer months.  

As an example, a Brugmansia planted in Venice Beach,
California could be planted in the same yard with
completely different results, it won't tolerate a
windtunnel alley way connecting to the beach, but
protected by a building or fence, it will thrive.  I
would also hazard a guess that the Mediterranean
differs widely in the amount of wind based on
geographic location, as Sagres in the Algarve is much
windier than nearby Lagos, Cadiz more windy than
Marbella, etc.  Let the appearance of what is already
there and growing well be your guide, and you can gain
many easy clues by observing the specifics of your
area.  In general, I wouldn't recommend large soft
leaved subtropicals like Brugmansia, Bananas,
Tibouchina, etc. for windy locations, give them
shelter from strong daily winds...

On another note, I would think that Bougainvillea in a
seafront location along the Algarve should do well if
it is not being blasted by daily winds and salt spray,
or the soil isn't too salty, as mentioned by others. 
If the location proposed is subjected to these sorts
of conditions, (first zone of exposure), flowering
vines/scandent shrubs which might survive include;
Ipomoea pes-capri, Lonicera hildebrandtiana,
Pelargonium peltatum, Phaedranthus buccinatorius, Rosa
banksiae, Solandra guttata.  Most of these have the
similar quality of having a waxy leaf surface, which
is more resistant to salt spray and wind damage. 
However, if the proposed beachfront location is
regularly being blasted by direct sea spray and
constant wind, even these plants may suffer.  Another
factor to consider even when not in direct view of the
beach, is whether your local  beach conditions are a
combination of rocky shore, rough waves and strong
winds, which can carry salt in the air quite some
distance from shore, and affect your plantings.

If you are in a truly tough coastal situation, you may
need to create windbreaks where possible to try and
filter the wind and salt.  This was done in a very
large scale when San Francisco's Golden Gate Park was
laid out in the late 1800's.  The general exposure was
a series of sand dunes  running 4 to 5 miles inland,
and rising to several hundred feet in elevation, and
subject to relentless daily winds.  It was thought at
the time that no plantings could survive these
conditions, as there were no existing trees except for
a few Quercus agrifolia trees  at the furthest reaches
of the park site, and which were protected by existing
rock formations.  The creation of the future park was
contingent on establishing windbreak species which
could survive on natural rainfall, before any less
wind resistant plantings could be established.  Where
storms have created holes in the front lines of these
original plantings, wind damage and salt accumulation
can quickly accelerate and damage the understory
plantings.

Large shrub/small tree plantings such as Acacia
longifolia, Albizzia lebbec, Cupressus macrocarpa,
Eucalyptus cornuta and lehmanni, Melaleuca nesophila,
Metrodideros tomentosa, Myoporum laetum, Myrica
californica, Pittosporum crassifolium, etc. are all
greatly resistant to coastal wind and salt.  In Golden
Gate Park, Acacia longifolia, Myoporum laetum,
Melaleuca nesophila and Leptospermum laevigatum,
Eucalyptus cornuta, and Cupressus macrocarpa are all
species which are still to be found helping to buffer
the winds.  The primary trees planted in conjunction
with these windbreaks include Cupressus macrocarpa,
Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus radiata.  As most of
these trees are now over a hundred years old,
especially at the far easter reaches of the Park,(The
Panhandle, which was planted first with trees), we are
starting to lose these trees to old age and diseases. 
Many people in the Bay Area take for granted the
current appearance of the park with all these mature
trees, and don't ralize that within our lifetimes they
will need to be replaced... 

Other flowering plants to consider which do great here
along the beach in California:  Agave americana and
attenuata,Aeoniums, Aloes,Echium fastuosum, Limonium
perezii, and  many succulents in general.  I hope
these suggestions prove useful...  

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