Smooth Cordgrass

Spartina alterniflora Loisel. - Grass family

Size

Mature Height: Up to around 3.5 feet

Planting Distance: 12 inches

Plant Type: Graminoid

Root Depth: 12 inches

Growth Form: Bunch

Growth Rate: Moderate

Features

Flower Color: Yellow

Conspicuous Flowers: No

Bloom Time: Late Spring

Seasonal Growth: Spring and Summer

Evergreen: No

Fall Colors: No

Conditions

Shade Tolerance: Intolerant

Clay Soil Tolerance: Yes

Sandy Soil Tolerance: Yes

Drought Tolerance: None

Flood Tolerance: High

Fire Tolerance: High

Salt Tolerance: High

Ecosystem Interactions

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

Larval Species depending on Smooth Cordgrass: Automeris louisiana, Chortodes enervata, Donacaula aquilellus, Poanes aaroni

Native Range

  • USA:  Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode I., South Carolina, Texas, Virginia
  • MEX:  Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast
  • CAN:  New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward I., Québec
Regional Native Status: L48 (N), 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.