The shoreline, restored from the roots up.
Native plants are one of the most effective tools in coastal protection — binding the substrate, filtering runoff, supporting wildlife, and restoring the natural character of a shoreline that structure alone can't provide. Maine Coastal Protection selects and installs them with the same precision we bring to everything else we build.
Request a Free EstimateProtection that grows stronger every season.
There is a version of shoreline protection that only uses hard structure — seawalls, bulkheads, riprap — and it solves some problems while creating others. Hardened shorelines stop erosion where they stand, but they displace the ecological systems that once made the shoreline resilient: the root networks that bound the substrate, the vegetation that slowed wave energy at the surface, the habitat that supported the species the water depends on.
Native coastal plantings restore what structure removes. Carefully selected for the specific conditions of the site — tidal exposure, soil type, salinity, sun, and the native plant communities of the surrounding shoreline — they establish over time into a living buffer that reduces erosion, supports wildlife, filters upland runoff, and returns the shoreline to something closer to what it was. At Maine Coastal Protection, planting is not a finishing touch. It is a core component of how we protect and restore Maine's coast, applied with the same rigor and site-specificity as every other part of the work.
Roots before everything else.
Every planting plan we develop begins with the site — the existing conditions, the native plant communities of the surrounding area, and the specific protection and restoration goals of the project.
Native Shoreline Planting Installations
We design and install native plant communities suited to the specific conditions of the shoreline — the tidal zone, the upland buffer, the dune face, or the freshwater edge. Species are selected for their ecological function, their establishment potential on the site, and their role in the broader plant community we're restoring. Nothing is placed without a reason.
Erosion Control Buffer Plantings
Where upland soil is exposed to runoff, wave wash, or wind erosion, we install layered native plantings — groundcovers, shrubs, and in appropriate settings, small trees — that create a graduated buffer between the upland and the water's edge. Root systems work below the surface while foliage slows energy at grade, making the buffer more effective than either element alone.
Seawall & Eco Bloc® Plantings
Where Eco Blocs® have been incorporated into seawall construction, we carry out the associated planting. We select native intertidal and supratidal species that can establish within the structure and contribute to both the ecological and structural performance of the wall over time. This is planting work that requires specific knowledge of what survives in these conditions, and we bring that knowledge to every installation.
Why property owners trust Maine Coastal Protection with their shoreline.
We Know What Grows Here
Coastal plant selection in Maine is not a catalog exercise. The species that establish successfully on an exposed tidal shoreline differ from those that thrive on a freshwater lake edge or a sheltered cove. We've spent four decades learning what belongs where on this coastline — what establishes, what persists through difficult winters, and what supports the ecological communities that make a healthy Maine shoreline what it is.
Planting as Protection, Not Decoration
Our shoreline plantings are designed to perform ecological and structural functions — erosion control, runoff filtration, habitat restoration, dune stabilization — not just to look natural. Species selection, planting density, placement relative to the tidal zone, and the layering of the plant community all reflect that functional intent.
Integrated with the Full Scope
Planting rarely stands alone on a coastal project. Because Maine Coastal Protection handles seawalls, beach restoration, Eco Blocs®, and access structures alongside our planting work, every installation is designed in context — the plantings complement the hard structures, support the ecological restoration, and fit the full scope of what the shoreline needs.
Knowledge That Comes From Experience
Getting plants in the ground is the easy part. Getting them to establish on a Maine coastal shoreline — through salt spray, ice scour, tidal fluctuation, and the competition of invasive species — requires the kind of knowledge that only comes from having done it many times, in many conditions, over many years. That experience is what we bring to every planting scope we take on.
Getting started is simple.
Coastal planting can feel complicated. Working with Maine Coastal Protection doesn't have to be. Here's what to expect.
Site Consultation
We walk the shoreline and assess the existing plant communities, the conditions of the site, the specific restoration or protection goals of the project, and any invasive species pressure that needs to be addressed before planting can succeed. This assessment shapes every decision that follows — species selection, planting zones, density, and timing.
Planting Plan & Permitting
We develop a planting plan specific to the site and manage any permitting required — shoreline planting in certain zones and in proximity to protected resources may require DEP review or local approval. Our permitting team handles that process as a standard part of the scope.
Installation
We source native plant material from reputable regional nurseries, and install at the appropriate season for the species and the site conditions. Timing matters for establishment — we plan accordingly and don't rush the installation to meet an arbitrary schedule.
Establishment & Stewardship
Coastal plantings establish over time, and the first few seasons are the most critical. We follow up after installation to assess how the planting is taking hold, address any areas that need supplemental attention, and provide guidance on stewardship so the investment in restoration continues to compound in the years ahead.
A shoreline that holds and flourishes.
Whether you're starting from bare ground, restoring a degraded shoreline, or looking to complement hard coastal structures with native vegetation, Maine Coastal Protection can help. Reach out and we'll walk the site with you and talk through what's possible.