Smooth Cordgrass
Spartina alterniflora

Smooth 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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Smooth cordgrass has tiny, white flowers that bloom in July-September. Above, smooth cordgrass is protected by breakwaters at Jefferson Patterson Park in Calvert County, Md., on Aug. 21, 2020. In addition to easy access for paddlers, a nearby living shoreline supports more species both on land and in the water, compared with shorelines hardened by riprap or bulkheads. (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

Smooth cordgrass has smooth, blade-like leaves that taper to a point. The leaves grow 12 to 20 inches in length and one-half an inch wide. Tiny, white flowers bloom in July to September.

The plant has round, hollow stems and a strong, interconnected root system. Smooth cordgrass grows in two forms: a short form that grows to 2 feet tall, and a tall form that can reach 7 feet tall.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Smooth cordgrass usually reproduces asexually. Its long, underground rhizomes (underground portions of a plant’s stem) spread and form new stems. Flowers mature into foot-long seed spikes in autumn.

Did You Know?

  • Smooth cordgrass is also known as saltmarsh cordgrass. It is the dominant grass in the Bay’s salt marshes.
  • The short form of cordrass is more common in slightly higher areas, while the tall form is more common in low areas that are flooded by tides every day.
  • This grass can be used to control shoreline erosion. It also provides important habitat for marsh periwinkles, ribbed mussels and fiddler crabs.

Sources and Additional Information

Tags:
Plants & Trees Grasses Marshes & Wetlands