'Cape' American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata)

Feature: Great American Plants by the NRCS Plant Materials Program

Collected on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and released in 1972 by the Cape May, New Jersey Plant Materials Center and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, 'Cape' has been used to protect over 2,500 acres of coastal shoreline from Maine to North Carolina.

Many East Coast beachgoers are familiar with the sight of American beachgrass stems waving in the ocean breeze. However, they may not know that 'Cape,' a Plant Materials Program variety, is often the plant holding those dunes in place.

'Cape' was selected for its vigorous growth, numerous thick stems, broad leaves, and rapid rate of spread. These characteristics enable the plant to effectively trap blowing sand. In addition, the large stems promote easier transplanting and greater transplant survival on sand dunes. While 'Cape' has primarily been used on dunes, it has also been planted to stabilize sandy areas inland, such as roadbanks and abandoned gravel pits.