Spartina Cord Grass

Spartina cordgrass is a perennial grass that is native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America but is invasive along the Pacific Coast. Hollow stems grow from 2 to 4 ft (0.6 to 1.2 m) tall. Leaves are 8 to 20 in. (20 to 50 cm) long and 1 to 8 in. (2.5 to 20 cm) wide and are often purplish at the base.

Like most ornamental grasses, Spartina Cord grass will perform best if it’s planted in a sunny area. Water new plants until they are established. After that, they’ll have good drought tolerance. Plants can be cut back to the ground in late winter before the spring flush of foliage appears. You can also give the plants an application of fertilizer as they begin to grow rapidly in spring. As the plants age, they can be lifted in early spring and divided to create new plants.

Total plant height can be up to 7 feet tall. Flowering occurs in July to November, when densely packed clusters of tan flowers develop. The fruit are flattened and smooth, with pointed tips. The plant also expands via underground rhizomes. Spartina cordgrass was introduced on the West Coast in the early 1970s to be used as erosion control. It can hybridize with other spartina species. Plants have now become extremely invasive in salt marshes along the West Coast.