Saltgrass

Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene - Grass family

Size

Mature Height: Up to around 13 inches

Planting Distance: 12 inches

Plant Type: Graminoid

Root Depth: 2 inches

Growth Form: Rhizomatous

Growth Rate: Slow

Features

Flower Color: Yellow

Conspicuous Flowers: No

Bloom Time: Mid Summer

Seasonal Growth: Spring, Summer, Fall

Evergreen: No

Fall Colors: No

Conditions

Shade Tolerance: Intolerant

Clay Soil Tolerance: Yes

Sandy Soil Tolerance: No

Drought Tolerance: Medium

Flood Tolerance: High

Fire Tolerance: High

Salt Tolerance: High

Ecosystem Interactions

Pollinators: Larval Host (Butterfly); Larval Host (Moth); Wind

Larval Species depending on Saltgrass: Atalopedes campestris, Hemileuca oliviae, Panoquina errans, Panoquina panoquin, Panoquina panoquinoides errans, Polites sabuleti, Polites sabuleti chusca, Polites sabuleti sabuleti, Pseudocopaeodes eunus

Native Range

  • USA:  Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
  • CAN:  Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territorie, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Saskatchewan
  • MEX:  Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest
Regional Native Status: L48 (N), HI (I), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.