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Native grasses

Plants useful for Coastal Stabilization and Restoration

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Clicking on the scientific name will take you to detailed information in the PLANTS database.

Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes

Symbol Scientific Name Common Name Plant Guide Plant Fact Sheet Conservation Plant Release
AMBR Ammophila breviligulata American beachgrass American Beachgrass Plant Guide (PDF; 171 KB) American Beachgrass Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 236 KB) 'Cape' American Beachgrass (PDF; 136 KB)
Beachgrass planting guide (PDF; 687 KB)
DISP Distichlis spicata seashore saltgrass Seashore saltgrass Plant Guide (PDF; 89 KB)
ELCE Eleocharis cellulosa Torr. gulf coast spikerush   Plant Fact Sheet:  Gulf Coast Spikerush   (PDF; 217 KB)
JURO Juncus roemerianus black needlerush Black Needlerush Plant Guide (PDF; 60 KB) Black Needlerush Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 51 KB)
PAAM2 Panicum amarum bitter panicum Bitter Panicum Plant Guide (PDF; 86 KB) Bitter Panicum Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 205 KB) Bitter panicum planting guide (PDF; 81 KB)
PAAMA2 Panicum amarum var. amarulum coastal/ bitter panicgrass Coastal / Bitter Panicgrass Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 209 KB)  
PAVA Paspalum vaginatum seashore paspalum Seashore Paspalum Plant Guide (PDF; 168 KB)  
SCSC Schizachyrium scoparium coastal/ little bluestem Coastal / Little Bluestem Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 182 KB) 'Nash' (PDF; 280 KB)
 
SPAL Spartina alterniflora*

*exclude from plantings on the west coast

smooth cordgrass Smooth Cordgrass Plant Guide (PDF; 198 KB)  Smooth Cordgrass Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 182 KB) 'Brochure Vermilion Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)
SPPA Spartina patens saltmeadow cordgrass Saltmeadow Cordgrass Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 250 KB) Gulf Coast Marshhay Cordgrass (Spartina patens). (PDF; 282 KB)

Marshay cordgrass planting guide (PDF; 32 KB)
 
SPSP Spartina spartinae gulf cordgrass Gulf Cordgrass Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 08 KB)
SPVI3 Sporobolus virginicus  seashore dropseed
UNPA Uniola paniculata seaoats Seaoats Plant Guide (PDF: 72 KB) Caminada seaoats, Uniola paniculata. (PDF; 346 KB)

Forbs and Wildflowers

Symbol Scientific Name Common Name Plant Guide Plant Fact Sheet Conservation Plant Release
CARO26 Canavalia rosea beach bean
CHFA2 Chamaecrista fasciculata partridge pea
 
Partridge Pea Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 241 KB)
 
HEDED Helianthus debilis beach sunflower Beach Sunflower Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 273 KB)  
SOSE Solidago sempervirens seaside goldenrod   Monarch Germplasm Seaside Goldenrod. (PDF; 339K)
 

Trees and Shrubs

Symbol Scientific Name Common Name Plant Guide Plant Fact Sheet Conservation Plant Release
AVGE Avicennia germinans black mangrove 'Pelican' Black Mangrove  (PDF; 388 KB)
BAHA Baccharis halimifolia L. eastern baccharis Eastern Baccharis Plant Guide (PDF; 157 KB) Eastern Baccharis Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 267 KB)
COUV Coccoloba uvifera seagrape
IVFR Iva frutescens L. marsh elder/ Jesuit's bark Marsh Elder / Jesuit's Bark Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 188 KB)
IVIM Iva imbricata seashore elder
JUCO12 Juniperus conferta Parl. shore juniper Shore Juniper Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 283 KB)  
MOCE2 Morella cerifera wax myrtle Wax Myrtle Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 45 KB)
MOPE6 Morella pensylvanica northern bayberry   Northern Bayberry Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 299 KB)  
PRMA2 Prunus maritima beach plum Beach Plum Plant Fact Sheet (PDF; 190 KB)
SCRO5 Schoenoplectus robustus saltmarsh bulrush Saltmarsh Bulrush Plant Guide (PDF; 175 KB)

Technical Documents from the Plant Materials Program

Native Plants for Coastal Dune Restoration: What, When, and How for Florida. (PDF; 12 MB) M.J. Williams. 2007. Florida NRCS, Gainesville, FL. 06/28/07. 51p. (ID# 7474)

Native Plants for Mississippi Coastline Restoration. (PDF; 713KB) Sherry Surrette, Cassandra Meyer. 2007.  Coffeeville, MS. 6p. (ID# 7156)

Plant Guide for Establishing Coastal Vegetation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. (PDF; 333 KB) Sherry Surrette. 2007. Jackson, MS.  39p. (ID# 7271)

Beachgrass Planting Guide for Volunteers and Municipalities  (PDF; 687 KB) USDA-NRCS Cape May Plant Materials Center, Cape May, NJ. 2003. 2 p. (ID# 4697) 

Coastal Waterbird Nesting Habitat Enhancement.  (PDF; 403 KB)  USDA-NRCS Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center. Kingsville, TX. Oct. 2002. 2p.(ID# 4295)

A Bioengineering System for Coastal Shoreline Stabilization, (PDF; 66 KB)  Land and Water.  Fort Dodge, IA.  September/October 2000, 3 p. (ID# 869) 

Fact Sheet:  Streambank and Shoreline Protection - Conservation Practice 580  (PDF; 498 KB)  USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Program, Temple, TX.  September 1999.  2 p. (ID# 85)

Technical Note: A Bioengineering System for Coastal Shoreline Stabilization  (PDF; 51 KB)  USDA-NRCS Kingsville Plant Materials Center, Kingsville, TX. Sept. 1998. 6p.(ID# 2743)

Measures for stabilizing coastal dunes. (PDF; 1.2 MB) Surrency, D. and Jimmy Carter Plant Materials Center. 1992. USDA-NRCS, Athens, GA. Aug. 1992. 14p. (ID# 3023)

Information on Plant Species and Conservation Plant Releases

Coastal Bluestem Fact Sheet.  USDA-NRCS NJ State Office, Somerset, NJ. 2p. (PDF; 280 KB) (ID# 5737)

Plant Fact Sheet:  Gulf Coast Spikerush   (PDF; 217 KB)   USDA-NRCS Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center.  October 2001.  2 p. (ID# 751)

Planting Guide: Panicum amarum (bitter panicum)  (PDF; 81KB)  USDA-NRCS Brooksville Plant Materials Center, Brooksville, FL. Jan. 1996. 1p. (ID# 1882)

Planting Guide: Spartina patens (marshhay cordgrass) (PDF; 66KB) USDA-NRCS Brooksville Plant Materials Center, Brooksville, FL. Jan. 1996. 1p. (ID# 1883)

Vendors and Growers

Coastal Wetland Plant Vendors for Louisiana. (PDF; 59kb) Morris Houck. 2009. Alexandria, LA. September 2009. 3p. (ID# 9049)

Cape May PMC Plant Vendors list. (PDF; 53K) Christopher Miller. 2010. Cape May Court House, NJ. 4p. (ID# 9907)
 


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