Spartina pectinata
Prairie Cordgrass
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Prairie Cordgrass is a tall, stiff, warm-season perennial grass. Its clustered branches of yellow-brown flowers bloom on spikelets, July-August....
Description:
Prairie Cordgrass is a tall, stiff, warm-season perennial grass. Its clustered branches of yellow-brown flowers bloom on spikelets, July-August. Its sharp-edged leaves have earned it one of its common names, Ripgut. Leaves turn yellow in the fall. Prairie Cordgrass provides habitat and nesting materials for birds and wildlife. It prefers wet, fertile, loamy soil and will tolerate periodic flooding; it creates thick stands in optimum conditions. However, it will also tolerate dry soils, where it will not grow or spread as quickly. The native habitat of Prairie Cordgrass includes freshwater marshes, as well as low roadside areas. Use it to aid in erosion control around ponds, or plant it in your rain garden. This plant is also used to vegetate large swales and retention basins.
Plant Details:
Other Common Names: Sloughgrass, Ripgut
Plant Type: Grass
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Summer
Bloom Colors: Yellow, Brown
Deer Resistance: Some
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Birds
Salt Tolerance: Low to None
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Alkaline, Alkaline
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Full Sun
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Drought Tolerance: Low
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 5 - 8 ft
Spread: 5 - 8 ft
Growth Rate: Fast