Photo by Sandra Richard. CC BY-NC 2.0
Latin Name: Spartina alterniflora
Species: Plants
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
Spartina grass is the dominant plant in South Carolina’s salt marshes. Leaf blades emerge in an alternate pattern on the central stem, hence the name “alterniflora.” The central stems are hollow and shoot up from rhizomes (rootlike plant stem) under the mud. Grass in the low marsh can reach up to 8 feet tall, but only about 1 foot in the high marsh. The grass is bright green in the warm months but turns golden while dying off in the fall and winter.
Range & Habitat (map)
Spartina grass is found growing natively in marshes on the entire Canadian and U.S. Atlantic coast from Newfoundland and Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico.
Diet
N/A
Life History
Spartina is a perennial flowering plant so it reproduces with seeds, though it most commonly grows by budding from the rhizomes underground. The plant will produce small white flowers in October and November that are pollinated by wind. Seeds germinate in the spring and young plants will seed the first year of growth in the fall before dying back.
Significance
About 50% of all of South Carolina’s salt marsh is found in Beaufort County. Spartina grass is important for all coastal communities as it protects the shore from erosion and filters pollutants bound to enter the ocean. Mats of dead spartina grass called wrack form dunes on the beach and introduce nutrients to the water as they break down. The grass also forms a great sheltered habitat for juvenile fish. Seeds are a food resource for some songbirds.
Threats & How You Can Help
Salt marsh dying events, often called “brown marsh,” have been observed throughout the entire range of spartina grass. The cause is believed to be due to an increase in water-logged conditions linked to sea level rise. South Carolina was impacted by one of these events in 2002-2003. SC Sea Grant’s From Seeds to Shoreline (S2S) program strategically replants and restore salt marsh, and is a great way for the community to get involved in protecting this amazing resource.
Additional Resources
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/43784