Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain

The Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain runs from southern New Jersey down across the Delmarva Peninsula and the Virginia tidewater, including Philadelphia, Wilmington, Dover, and Virginia Beach. The land is flat and low, the water table is close to the surface, and soils are sandy with pockets of poorly drained muck. Natives such as sweetbay magnolia, Atlantic white cypress, and seaside goldenrod are built for wet feet and salt air, both of which finish off the average nursery shrub.

Conditions: Flat sandy soils over a high water table, 42–48 inches of rain, humid summers and mild winters, salt exposure near the bay and ocean.

Cities and areas: Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, Wilmington, Dover, Salisbury, Newport News.