Spartina patens
Saltmeadow Cordgrass
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Saltmeadow Cordgrass is a warm-season perennial grass. The slender, wiry plants grow in thick mats. The action of wind and water can bend the...
Description:
Saltmeadow Cordgrass is a warm-season perennial grass. The slender, wiry plants grow in thick mats. The action of wind and water can bend the stems, giving a whorled appearance to this hay-like grass. Purplish, wind-pollinated flowers appear on spikelets, June-August. This plant grows on salty, brackish, and freshwater marshes, tidal flats, and dunes. It tolerates flooding, and spreads aggressively through rhizomes (underground stems). Although it is native to salty areas, it grows larger in fresh water habitats. Saltmeadow Cordgrass is highly adaptable to a range of soil conditions. It provides food and cover for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. You can use Saltmeadow Cordgrass as shoreline protection to control erosion, for dune stabilization, and tidal marsh restoration. There are many cultivars available commercially to suit your needs and preferences.
Plant Details:
Other Common Names: Saltmarsh Cordgrass, Salt Hay
Plant Type: Grass
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer, Summer
Bloom Colors: Purple
Deer Resistance: Some
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Birds
Salt Tolerance: High
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: Piedmont - P, Coastal Plain - CP
Grows in Special Ecoregions: Barrier Island/Coastal
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy, Clay
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Soil pH: Acidic, Slightly Acidic, Neutral
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Full Sun
Light Range: Full Sun
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Drought Tolerance: Low
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 1 - 2 ft
Spread: 1 - 1.5 ft
Growth Rate: Medium