Tables of Salt-tolerant and Drought-tolerant species
Simple tables of salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant species are found below. These are all species that are native to the Marshalls or already common in the Marshalls.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, provides an interactive spreadsheet that enables you to create a list for certain atolls or certain conditions. Go to the USDA NRCS website , scroll to “Plant Materials Technical Notes” and click #11 “Coral Atoll Agroforestry Plant Screener.” This includes some additional species that are not already common in the Marshalls. It does not include invasive species. The information in the tables below is all from this spreadsheet.
Salt-tolerant species table
Ecosystem |
Scientific Name |
Marshallese Name |
Wind Tolerant |
Plant Type |
| Mangroves and associates (can grow in salt water, below high tide | Pemphis acidula | Kiej (kōn̄e) (kiejor) | ? | Shrub | Bruguiera gymnorhiza | Jon̄ | Yes | Tree | Rhizophora mucronata | Būl̗abol̗ or Eoeak | Yes | Tree | Sonneratia alba Sm. | Kōnpat or Būļabōļ, white mangrove | Yes | Tree | Lumnitzera littorea | kimeme, black mangrove | Yes | Tree | Strand forest species (grow on beach berm) | Pandanus tectorius | Bōb | Yes | Tree | Barringtonia asiatica | wop, ob, fish poison tree | Yes | Tree | Canavalia rosea | marlap, bay bean | Yes | Vine-herb | Canavalia sericea | marlap, silky jackbean | Yes | Vine-herb | Cordia subcordata | Kōn̗o | Yes | Tree | Guettarda speciosa | wut, bwikow utilomar, beach gardenia | Yes | Tree | Heliotropium foertherianum | kirin, kiden, tree heliotrope | Yes | Tree | Ipomoea macrantha | Marpeļe | ? | Vine-herb | Scaevola taccada | konnat, mar kinat, beach cabbage | Yes | Shrub | Vigna marina | markinenjojo, beach pea | Yes | Vine-herb | Ipomoea tuba | Marļap | ? | Vine-herb | Other salt tolerant species | Cassytha filiformis | Kaōnōn | ? | Vine-herb | Citrus x Citrofortunella mitis | calamansi, calamondin | Yes | Tree | Cocos nucifera (dwarf) | ni, nimaro, coconut (dwarf) | Yes | Tree | Cocos nucifera (tall) | ni, nimaro, coconut (tall) | Yes | Tree | Thalassia hemprichii | Wūjooj in lo̗jet | ? | Herb | Xanthosoma sagittifolium | Aliklik | No | Herb | Allophylus timorensis | Kūtaak, Kitaak, Kitak | Yes | Tree | Asplenium nidus | Kartōp | No | Herb | Caesalpinia bonduc | jei ta, legulek, gray nicker bean | Yes | Vine-woody | Calophyllum inophyllum | lueg, jiro, Alexandrian laurel | Yes | Tree | Clerodendrum inerme | wulej, ulij, seaside clerodendrum | Yes | Shrub | Fimbristylis cymosa | padalij aan, tropical fimbry | Yes | Herb | Hernandia nymphaeifolia | pi pi, lantern tree | Yes | Tree | Hernandia sonora | bing bing, pin pin | Yes | Tree | Hibiscus tiliaceus | loo, law, sea hibiscus | Yes | Tree | Intsia bijuga | kubok, kubuk, ipil-ipil | Yes | Tree | Ipomoea indica | ocean blue morning glory | Yes | Herb | Ipomoea pes-caprae | topo, beach morning glory | Yes | Vine-herb | Lepturus repens | Wūjooj | Yes | Herb | Pipturus argenteus | ar we, arame | Yes | Tree | Pisonia grandis | kangal, mahk, kanae | Yes | Tree | Premna obtusifolia | kar, false elder | Yes | Tree | Premna serratifolia | kaar | Yes | Tree | Sesuvium portulacastrum | shoreline seapurslane | Yes | Herb | Sida fallax | kio, kieo | Yes | Shrub | Sophora tomentosa | killi, kuli, yellow necklacepod | Yes | Shrub | Sporobolus virginicus | totoput, seashore rush grass | Yes | Herb | Terminalia samoensis | kugung, ekkon, Samoan tropical almond | Yes | Tree | Terminalia samoensis | Ekkōn̄ (kūkōn̄) | Yes | Tree | Wollastonia biflora | Marjāj (markūwbwebwe) | Yes | Herb |
Drought-tolerant species table
Scientific Name |
Marshallese or English name |
Minimum rainfall (inches/year) |
Maximum rainfall (inches/year) |
Drought tolerant |
Plant Type |
| Fimbristylis cymosa | padalij aan, tropical fimbry | 15 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Casuarina equisetifolia | Nidil | 15 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Sida fallax | kio, kieo | 15 | 200 | Yes | Shrub |
| Ipomoea indica | ocean blue morning glory | 15 | 120 | ? | Herb |
| Sesuvium portulacastrum | shoreline seapurslane | 15 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Boerhavia sp. | Dāpijdekā | 20 | 50 | ? | Herb |
| Ipomoea pes-caprae | topo, beach morning glory | 20 | 200 | ? | Vine-Herb |
| Cocos nucifera (dwarf) | ni, nimaro, coconut (dwarf) | 20 | 250 | Yes | Tree |
| Cocos nucifera (tall) | ni, nimaro, coconut (tall) | 20 | 250 | Yes | Tree |
| Ficus carica | Wōjke-piik | 20 | 80 | Yes | Tree |
| Caesalpinia bonduc | jei ta, legulek, gray nicker bean | 20 | 75 | Yes | Vine-wood |
| Dodonaea viscosa | kamen, kaming, hopbush | 20 | 200 | Yes | Shrub |
| Thespesia populnea | Milo | 20 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Vigna marina | markinenjojo, beach pea | 20 | 200 | Yes | Vine-Herb |
| Sporobolus virginicus | totoput, seashore rush grass | 20 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Aleurites moluccana | candlenut tree, kukui | 25 | 170 | Yes | Tree |
| Calophyllum inophyllum | lueg, jiro, Alexandrian laurel | 25 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Cordia subcordata | Kōn̗o | 25 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Asclepias curassavica | Kabbok | 30 | 100 | ? | Herb |
| Bruguiera gymnorhiza | Jon̄ | 30 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Citrus x Citrofortunella mitis | calamansi, calamondin | 30 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Rhizophora mucronata | Būl̗abol̗ or Eoeak | 30 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Allophylus timorensis | Kūtaak, Kitaak, Kitak | 30 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Hibiscus tiliaceus | loo, law, sea hibiscus | 30 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Pisonia grandis | kangal, mahk, kanae | 30 | 120 | Yes | Tree |
| Scaevola taccada | konnat, mar kinat, beach cabbage | 30 | 200 | Yes | Shrub |
| Sophora tomentosa | killi, kuli, yellow necklacepod | 30 | 180 | Yes | Shrub |
| Euphoribia cyatophora | Nukne | 30 | 100 | ? | Herb |
| Russelia juncea | Albokbūro̗ro | 30 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Sonneratia alba Sm. | Kōnpat or Būļabōļ, white mangrove | 30 | 200 | ? | Tree |
| Lumnitzera littorea | kimeme, black mangrove | 30 | 200 | ? | Tree |
| Pemphis acidula | Kiej (kōn̄e) (kiejor) | 30 | 200 | ? | Shrub |
| Citrus aurantium | Laiṃ | 35 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Citrus maxima | Woan̄ | 35 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Citrus spp. | laim, citrus | 35 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Saccharum officinarum | To̗ | 35 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Psilotum sp. | Martok | 40 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Thaurea involuta | Wūjooj kakkum̗kum̗ | 40 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Triumfetta procumbens | Atat, Prostrate Burr Bush | 40 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Artocarpus altilis | ma, me, bugurol, breadfruit | 40 | 240 | Yes | Tree |
| Artocarpus mariannensis | mejwaan, seeded breadfruit | 40 | 150 | Yes | Tree |
| Carica papaya | Keinabbu | 40 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Pandanus tectorius | Bōb | 40 | 240 | Yes | Tree |
| Ipomoea macrantha | Marpeļe | 40 | 200 | Yes | Vine-herb |
| Lepturus repens | Wūjooj | 40 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Polypodium scolopendria | Kino | 40 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Wollastonia biflora | Marjāj (markūwbwebwe) | 40 | 100 | Yes | Herb |
| Mirabilis jalapa | Emān-awa | 40 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Vigna radiata | mung bean | 40 | 200 | ? | Herb |
| Tacca leontopetaloides | M̗akm̗ōk | 50 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Barringtonia asiatica | wop, ob, fish poison tree | 50 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Guettarda speciosa | wut, bwikow utilomar, beach gardenia | 50 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Premna obtusifolia | kar, false elder | 50 | 240 | Yes | Tree |
| Colocasia esculenta | Kōtak | 60 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Hedyotis biflora | Kinwōj | 60 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Xanthosoma sagittifolium | Aliklik | 60 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Hernandia nymphaeifolia | pi pi, lantern tree | 60 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Intsia bijuga | kubok, kubuk, ipil-ipil | 60 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Terminalia samoensis | kugung, ekkon, Samoan tropical almond | 60 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Terminalia samoensis | Ekkōn̄ (kūkōn̄) | 60 | 200 | Yes | Tree |
| Alocasia macrrorhiza | Wōt | 70 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Hernandia sonora | bing bing, pin pin | 70 | 120 | Yes | Tree |
| Pipturus argenteus | ar we, arame | 70 | 120 | Yes | Tree |
| Premna serratifolia | kaar | 70 | 120 | Yes | Tree |
| Clerodendrum inerme | wulej, ulij, seaside clerodendrum | 80 | 200 | Yes | Shrub |
| Cyperus javanicus | sap sap, ujoet, marsh cyperus | 80 | 200 | Yes | Herb |
| Cycas circinalis | Ni-baam | ? | ? | Yes | Tree |
| Cyrtosperma merkusii | Iaraj | ? | ? | Yes | Herb |
| Ipomoea tuba | Marļap | ? | ? | Yes | Vine-herb |
| Soulamea amara | Kabwijlōn̄ | ? | ? | Yes | Shrub |