Overview
Sporobolus alterniflorus is a warm-season perennial grass that forms dense, rhizomatous colonies across intertidal salt marshes of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Stems reach 3-8 feet (0.9-2.4 m), rising from thick underground rhizomes that bind soft tidal sediment. The leaf blades are flat to inrolled, 8-20 inches (20-50 cm) long and roughly 0.5 inch (12 mm) wide, green to gray-green through summer and yellowing to brown after the first frosts. Narrow flowering spikes appear from July through October, carrying pale green to straw-colored spikelets along one side of the stem, and pollination is by wind. The species tolerates daily tidal flooding and high soil salinity by excreting salt through leaf glands and moving oxygen to its roots through internal air channels, which lets it survive in waterlogged, anaerobic mud. It spreads steadily by rhizome, and outside its native range along the Pacific coast, in China, and in western Europe it colonizes open mudflats and displaces existing tideland vegetation. In its home marshes it stabilizes shorelines and forms the structural base of the marsh food web. Growth slows in cooler, less saline sites, and the coarse texture and spreading habit leave it unsuited to small or non-tidal plantings.
Native Range
Sporobolus alterniflorus is native to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, from Newfoundland south to Florida and Texas. It occupies the intertidal zone of estuaries, bays, and salt marshes.Suggested Uses
Used for shoreline stabilization, salt-marsh restoration, and erosion control along tidal creeks and estuaries. Planted on dredge-spoil sites and constructed wetlands to trap sediment. The spreading habit leaves it unsuited to small ornamental beds.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height3' - 8'
Width/Spread2' - 4'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale green to strawFoliage Description
green to gray-green, yellowing to brown in fallGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight