PLANT PROFILE

Spartina patens
saltmeadow cordgrass, salt hay



Spartina patens

Spartina patens
Spartina patens
Photos Courtesy Renee Brecht
Britton & Brown
Botanical name: Spartina patens
Common name: saltmeadow cordgrass, salt hay
Group: monocot
Family: Poaceae
Growth type: graminoid
Duration: perennial
Origin: native
Plant height: 1 - 4'
Foliage: dark green stems; rolled leaf blades; leaves drooping
Flower: spikelets
Flowering time: June - October
Habitat: saline and brackish marshes, sandy beaches, low dunes, tidal flats from normal high tid to about 13 feet above sea level
Range in New Jersey: coastal counties
Heritage ranking, if any: n/a
Distribution:
Misc.: This species is important to a number of terrestrial and aquatic species. Salt hay has traditionally been used for numerous reasons in southern Jersey, including packing glass, thatching, etc, and even as stuffing in casket mattresses.