Native Plants

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Wednesday - March 09, 2016

From: Duck, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Ornamental grasses for North Carolina coastal region
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

What ornamental grasses will grow in pure sand and withstand salt-laden winds in zones 8 a and 8 b?

ANSWER:

Here are some native grasses that grow in North Carolina and are salt-tolerant and will grow in sand. You will need to be the judge of whether they should be considered ornamental.

Ammophila breviligulata (American beach grass) grows well in sand and is important in stabilizing sand dunes and preventing erosion. It is highly salt tolerant. Here is more information from the USDA

Spartina pectinata (Prairie cordgrass) and here is more information from USDA NRCS.

Uniola paniculata (Sea oats) and here is more information from USDA NRCS.

The Center for Coastal Resources Management (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) in its list, Teaching Marsh: Salt-tolerant Native Plants for Tidal Shoreline Banks & Slopes, gives both Spartina patens (Saltmeadow cordgrass) and Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) as being salt tolerant. Here is more information from the USDA NRCS for Spartina patens and for Panicum virgatum.

Information on Salt Tolerant Pasture and Reclamation Grasses from Pawnee Buttes Seeds recommends Elymus canadensis (Canada wild rye) 'Mandan' as a highly salt tolerant species. Here is more information from the USDA NRCS.

You can find more possibilities for grasses in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Program list of grasses, sedges and rushes that are Atlantic Coastal Plants for Protection & Restoration.