Saltmeadow Cordgrass
Spartina patens
This native, warm-season perennial can grow 1-4 feet tall, they have dark green stems and shiny dark green rolled leaf blades that are around ⅕ foot to 1 roof lone and .1 to .2 inches wide. This plant spreads by means of rhizomes which extend horizontally through the soil. Between late June to October, an inflorescence( flower) emerges at the end of the stem. These contain 2 inch long spikelets that are covered with overlapping florets which are wind pollinating
Uses – Saltmeadow cordgrass is primarily used for shoreline protection and marsh restoration. This plant is great at dissipating wave energy along low shorelines and marsh areas.
Cultivation- Saltmeadow Cordgrass has low seed production so one should propagate it by means of vegetative stem divisions. If you are plating in high-impact sites you should use containerized plants but in areas of mild impacts such as little to no wave energy bare-root, plugs can be used. Due to the irregularity of sites that this might be planted, hand planting using spades, dibbles, or planting bars is advised. spacing between the plants should be 18 to 36 inches as they can spread 2 feet laterally each year.
Where to find– this grass grows along the marshes and can be seen by land or by boat.
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