Cordgrass
ExplorePlants
Cordgrass
Spartina Schreb.
Cordgrass is a tall, slender plant that grows near the water's edge. Its long leaves sway gently in the breeze, providing shelter for small creatures and helping prevent erosion along coastlines.
Habitat: Coastal areas
Appearance
The Cordgrass is a tall, sturdy grass with stiff, green to yellowish-green leaves that can have sharp edges. It grows in dense, upright clumps, often forming vast meadows along coastlines, making it stand out as a dominant marsh plant.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaFamilyPoaceaeGenusSpartina
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Cordgrass actually helps build land by trapping mud and sediment, slowly creating new marsh areas!
It can grow so densely that it provides a secret hideout for many small marsh creatures!
Some Cordgrass species can reach incredible heights, towering over 10 feet tall like giant marsh skyscrapers!
This amazing grass can 'sweat' out salt through tiny glands on its leaves, leaving sparkling salt crystals behind!
Special abilities
Ability
Salt Solver
Cordgrass can survive in incredibly salty water by using special glands to secrete excess salt, helping it thrive where other plants cannot.
Ability
Soil Stablizer
Cordgrass has a powerful network of underground roots and rhizomes that bind soil, preventing erosion from waves and storms.
Ability
Oxygen Delivery
Cordgrass has specialized internal air channels in its stems and roots, allowing it to get oxygen even in oxygen-poor, waterlogged mud.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 30-300 cm
- Spread
- 50-500 cm
- Flower Size
- 0.5-2 cm
- Bloom Season
- Late_summer_fall
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- None
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Wind
Ecological connections
eaten by
Mallard Duck
Anas platyrhynchos
Ducks eat cordgrass seeds
shelters
Blue Crab
Callinectes sapidus
Crabs hide in cordgrass stands
symbiotic with
Ribbed Mussel
Geukensia demissa
Mussels attach to stems, filtering water
shelters
Grass Shrimp
Palaemonetes pugio
Shrimp live among its stems
Traits
Grass-Like
Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves.
Shade Tolerant
Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
Evergreen
Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
Salt Tolerant
Salt tolerant plants can withstand and grow in conditions with elevated salinity levels in the soil or water.
Coastal
Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater.
Also known as
Spartina
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Enjoy looking at cordgrass from a distance and avoid touching it to protect the delicate ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Cordgrass?
30-300 cm
How wide does Cordgrass spread?
50-500 cm
How big are the flowers on Cordgrass?
0.5-2 cm
When does Cordgrass bloom?
Late_summer_fall
Is Cordgrass edible?
No
Is Cordgrass toxic?
None
What is Cordgrass's lifecycle?
Perennial
How is Cordgrass pollinated?
Wind
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