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Native Plant Database

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Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl.

Marsh-hay cord grass, Salt-meadow cord grass, Saltmeadow cordgrass

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Synonyms: Spartina patens var. juncea

USDA Symbol: SPPA

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Saltmeadow Cordgrass is a member of the grass family (family Poaceae). Grasses are herbs, rarely woody, with cylindrical, jointed flowering stems (culms), hollow between the joints, leaves often mostly basal and tiny flowers aggregated into highly modified clusters. This very important family, consisting of about 525 genera and 5000 species, provides much of the food used by humans, as well as fodder for livestock. Grasses occur throughout the world in almost every habitat, with the greatest diversity of species found in the tropical zone, and the greatest abundance in the temperate regions.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Fruit Type: Achene , Caryopsis
Leaf: Green
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AL , CA , CT , DE , FL , GA , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OR , PA , RI , SC , TX , VA , WA
Canada: NB , NL , NS , PE , QC
Native Distribution: Coastal areas from Que. to TX; infrequently inland in saline marshes of e. U.S.
Native Habitat: Saline marshes & sandy meadows near the coast
USDA Native Status: L48(N), PR(N), VI(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Wet, sandy soils.
Conditions Comments: Tolerates salt spray. Often used for beach front stabilization. If grown in a freshwater environment, S. patens will grow much bigger.

Benefit

Attracts: Birds

Propagation

Description: Not Available
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Not Available
Commercially Avail: yes

Mr. Smarty Plants says

When to plant grasses on Long Island, NY
December 06, 2009
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants; Are there any grass seeds that I can plant NOW, early December, on Long Island, NY? The planting environment is on and near a sandy bluff on a bayshore, where it can be windy ...
view the full question and answer

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Native Plant Nursery - Sanibel, FL

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Spartina patens in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Spartina patens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Spartina patens

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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