Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - March 09, 2016
From: Duck, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Ornamental grasses for North Carolina coastal region
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
What ornamental grasses will grow in pure sand and withstand salt-laden winds in zones 8 a and 8 b?ANSWER:
Here are some native grasses that grow in North Carolina and are salt-tolerant and will grow in sand. You will need to be the judge of whether they should be considered ornamental.
Ammophila breviligulata (American beach grass) grows well in sand and is important in stabilizing sand dunes and preventing erosion. It is highly salt tolerant. Here is more information from the USDA
Spartina pectinata (Prairie cordgrass) and here is more information from USDA NRCS.
Uniola paniculata (Sea oats) and here is more information from USDA NRCS.
The Center for Coastal Resources Management (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) in its list, Teaching Marsh: Salt-tolerant Native Plants for Tidal Shoreline Banks & Slopes, gives both Spartina patens (Saltmeadow cordgrass) and Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) as being salt tolerant. Here is more information from the USDA NRCS for Spartina patens and for Panicum virgatum.
Information on Salt Tolerant Pasture and Reclamation Grasses from Pawnee Buttes Seeds recommends Elymus canadensis (Canada wild rye) 'Mandan' as a highly salt tolerant species. Here is more information from the USDA NRCS.
You can find more possibilities for grasses in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Program list of grasses, sedges and rushes that are Atlantic Coastal Plants for Protection & Restoration.
From the Image Gallery
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Plants for a bare clay slope in North Carolina
December 22, 2011 - Hi - I live near Raleigh North Carolina (border of the coastal plain and Piedmont). I have about 1/2 acre that was excavated for a geothermal heating/cooling system and now I need to stabilize it a...
view the full question and answer
How can I control Rescue Grass in my newly seeded prairie restoration?
March 25, 2009 - Hello,
This past fall I solarized the existing turfgrass in my front yard and seeded with the native tallgrass prairie grasses and wildflowers. My goal is to restore a small patch of tall grass pr...
view the full question and answer
Water eroding corner in Austin
October 25, 2011 - I live close to the Wildflower Center. My yard slopes - as do my neighbors' yards to one corner in my yard. The result is constant moisture in one corner. The rest of the yard is caliche, rocks (m...
view the full question and answer
Winter groundcover for shaded backyard in Austin
January 10, 2013 - I live in south Austin and have a shaded backyard. During the summer, the lawn died and the ground is now bare. I'd like to plant some kind of winter grass or ground cover that will hold the soil i...
view the full question and answer
Possibility of replacing Bermudagrass with native grasses and wildflowers
November 24, 2008 - Are there any native grasses and wildflowers that can compete with bermuda grass to make a nativ-y wild area without removing the bermuda?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |