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. |