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Saltgrass

Distichlis spicata

Saltgrass is a tough, rhizomatous grass of salt marshes, alkaline flats, and coastal dunes, one of the few plants that thrives in saline soil. Key for salt-marsh restoration.

Family
Poaceae
Type
grass
Lifespan
perennial
Height
0.5–1.5 ft
Spacing
1–3 ft apart
Light
sun
Soil moisture
wet, dry
Soil pH
alkaline, neutral
Bloom
June, July, August
Bloom colors
green, brown
Wildlife value
songbirds, larval host, mammals
Landscape uses
border, groundcover, container, rain garden, erosion control, naturalizing
Native states
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, WA, WY