Plants & Trees
More than 2,700 types of plants grow throughout the Chesapeake Bay region, in nearly every habitat: from upland forests to the Bay's shoreline to our own backyards. Plants help keep our air and water clean and provide habitat for countless animals.
Types of Plants & Trees:
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Phragmites
Phragmites australisPhragmites is a non-native, invasive perennial plant that grows in wetlands and along roadsides and shorelines throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Saltmeadow Cordgrass
Spartina patensSaltmeadow 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.
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Smooth Cordgrass
Spartina alternifloraSmooth cordgrass is a native perennial grass with flat, blade-like leaves. It grows in low-lying, salt and brackish tidal marshes along the shores of the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay.
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Wild Rice
Zizania aquaticaWild rice is a native annual grass with feathery flowers on top of a tall, round stem. It grows in freshwater marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.