Spartina alterniflora Smooth Cordgrass
General
Smooth cordgrass is an important species to the salt marshes of the East and Gulf coasts, where it acts as an ecosystem engineer. It spreads through rhizome and creates a root mat that stabilizes soils and controls erosion. It also traps and accretes sediment, which filters water and builds the shoreline. It acts as a buffer by absorbing wave energy. It can tolerate soils that have been polluted with petroleum.
This species provides food and habitat for many mammal, bird, fish, and invertebrate species.
Smooth cordgrass is best planted just above the midpoint between low and high tides, while making sure that at least two thirds of the aboveground vegetation will not be flooded at high tide. In areas with high wave energy, jute matting can be used to hold the plugs in place until they develop a strong root system. Planting on one-foot centers is generally a good way to ensure full coverage, but planting density can be adjusted to suit project goals.
Plant Description
Coarse, erect, perennial grass. There are two distinct growth forms: a tall, low-marsh form and the short, high-marsh form. The tall form is 3 – 7 ft tall, depending on site conditions. The short form is usually less than a foot tall.
Height (ft)
3-7'
Soil moisture
Wet
Soil types
Coarse to fine mineral textured soils
Wetland indicator
OBL
Shade tolerance
Intolerant
Bloom color
Yellow, Inconspicuous
Bloom period
Late Spring
Drought tolerance
None
Salinity tolerance
High
Distribution
Every Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coastal state except Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico
Additional information
Brown, Lauren. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York City, 1979. LINK
Fassett, Norman C. A Manual of Aquatic Plants, First Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London, 1940. LINK
Garbisch, Edgar W., and McIninch, Suzanne M. Propagation of Wetland Plants: Herbaceous Plants, Shrubs and Trees. Environmental Concern, Inc. 2003. LINK
Harris, James G., and Harris, Melinda Woolf. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, Second Edition. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah. 2011. LINK
Hitchcock, A.S., and Chase, Agnes. Manual of the Grasses of the United States, Second Edition, Volume I. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1971. LINK
Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK
McKenny, Margaret and Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968. LINK
Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Laurence Newcomb, Mexico. 1977. LINK
USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK