Project Description
Saltmeadow Cordgrass
Spartina patens
Range/Geographical Distribution: Along the east and west coasts of the United States and Canada. Also found along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat: Saltmarshes and sandy meadows.
Description: A wiry grass with long stems and 1/8th inch wide, rolled leaves. Green in summer and light brown in winter.
Size: Usually less than 40 inches tall.
Breeding: Flowers from June to October and produces wheat-like fruits on only one side of the stalk.
Predators/Ecological Importance: Saltmeadow cordgrass acts as a pollution filter and helps buffer the shoreline against flooding and erosion.
Conservation Status: Saltmeadow cordgrass is listed as an invasive species on the west coast including Washington, Oregon, and California.
Interesting Facts: Like some other plants adapted to live in a saline environment, cordgrass has specialized cells in the roots that exclude salt and prevent the loss of fresh water.
On the Coast: Saltmeadow cordgrass can be seen in large stands along the high marsh of Georgia’s coast.