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Saltmeadow Cordgrass

Spartina patens

Saltmeadow cordgrass is a native perennial grass with wiry leaves that often form a whorled pattern. It grows in high, irregularly flooded areas of salt and brackish marshes along the Chesapeake Bay.

Appearance:

• Drooping, wiry, dark green leaves that grow 6-12 inches long
• Leaves are shiny on top and rough on the bottom
• Spikes of tiny, overlapping florets bloom in June-October
• Long, slender rhizomes
• Grows 1-4 feet tall

Habitat:

• Grows in high parts of salt and brackish tidal marshes
• Very common in parts of the marsh that are irregularly flooded by tides
• Also found on beaches, dunes and tidal flats
• Forms dense colonies

Range:

• Found near the shores of the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay and its tidal creeks and rivers

Reproduction and Life Cycle:

• Usually reproduces asexually when its long, underground rhizomes spread and form new stems
• Produces seeds sparsely

Other Facts:

• Also known as saltmeadow hay
• Stems are easily bent and blown over by the wind, giving the grass its distinctive whorled, “cowlick” appearance

Sources and Additional Information:

• Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
• PLANTS Profile for Spartina patens – USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Spartina patens – U.S. Forest Service