Saltmeadow Cordgrass
Spartina patens

Saltmeadow cordgrass is a native 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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Saltmeadow cordgrass grows in the high marsh, seen above with black needlerush near Hopkins Cove in Crocheron, Md., on July 31, 2017. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program) USAGE REQUEST INFORMATION The Chesapeake Bay Program's photographic archive is available for media and non-commercial use at no charge. To request permission, send an email briefly describing the proposed use to requests@chesapeakebay.net. Please do not attach jpegs. Instead, reference the corresponding Flickr URL of the image. A photo credit mentioning the Chesapeake Bay Program is mandatory. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way or used in any way that suggests approval or endorsement of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Requestors should also respect the publicity rights of individuals photographed, and seek their consent if necessary.

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Appearance

Saltmeadow cordgrass has drooping, wiry, dark green leaves. Leaves grow 6 to 12 inches in length. The leaves are shiny on top and rough on the bottom. Spikes of tiny, overlapping florets bloom in June to October. The rhizomes (underground portion of a plant’s stem) are long and slender. Saltmeadow cordgrass grows 1 to 4 feet tall.

Reproduction and life cycle

Saltmeadow cordgrass usually reproduces asexually when its long, underground rhizomes spread and form new stems. It also produces seeds sparsely.

Did you know?

  • Saltmeadow cordgrass is also known as saltmeadow hay.
  • Its stems are easily bent and blown over by the wind, giving the grass its distinctive whorled, “cowlick” appearance.

Sources and additional information

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