What to plant along a driveway that gets salted

Every winter, meltwater carries de-icing salt into the soil beside the driveway. Most ornamental plants cannot cope with it.

Why plants die there

Sodium displaces calcium and magnesium in the soil, collapsing structure, and dissolved salt makes it hard for roots to draw water even in wet ground. Plants effectively dehydrate in mud.

More tolerant choices

Ornamental grasses, junipers, potentilla, daylilies and several sedums handle roadside conditions far better than boxwood, cedar or hydrangea, which all suffer badly.

Design around it instead

A mulched or river-rock border along the first half-metre of driveway edge removes the problem entirely and looks deliberate. Plant beyond that line, not in it.

Repair the soil

Heavy spring watering flushes salt below the root zone, and gypsum helps restore structure. On clay this takes longer than people expect, so start early.

Soil and water