Spartina patens
Saltmeadow Cordgrass is a perennial grass native to Florida's coasts that grows up to 3 feet tall in salt marshes and brackish wetlands. This hardy species features slender, wiry stems and narrow leaves that often form distinctive whorled patterns, creating dense clumps in the high marsh zone above the high-tide line. Highly valuable for Florida wildlife, it provides critical nesting habitat for saltmarsh sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, and boat-tailed grackles, while the seeds feed various shorebirds and waterfowl including mallards and pintails. The dense grass also offers protective cover for diamondback terrapins, marsh rabbits, and juvenile fish during high tide, while serving as foraging areas for great blue herons and snowy egrets. This salt-tolerant native grass plays a vital ecological role in Florida's coastal marsh systems, supporting both resident and migratory species.
Spartina patens
Saltmeadow Cordgrass is a perennial grass native to Florida's coasts that grows up to 3 feet tall in salt marshes and brackish wetlands. This hardy species features slender, wiry stems and narrow leaves that often form distinctive whorled patterns, creating dense clumps in the high marsh zone above the high-tide line. Highly valuable for Florida wildlife, it provides critical nesting habitat for saltmarsh sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, and boat-tailed grackles, while the seeds feed various shorebirds and waterfowl including mallards and pintails. The dense grass also offers protective cover for diamondback terrapins, marsh rabbits, and juvenile fish during high tide, while serving as foraging areas for great blue herons and snowy egrets. This salt-tolerant native grass plays a vital ecological role in Florida's coastal marsh systems, supporting both resident and migratory species.
Native, evergreen, clumping grass; 3’ x 3’
Sun, wet to dry well-draining soils
Salt-tolerant, can grow in salty, brackish or freshwater, but thrives in salty environments
Grows on sand dunes with Sea Oats
Will stabilize sandy beaches and banks of salt-marshes
