Other Names:  Baker's Cordgrass, Bunch Cordgrass, Marsh Grass

Description:

A large, perennial native grass that forms dense bunches of wiry dark green leaves; thrives in wet habitats, beaches, and ponds, as well as upland sites; excellent for erosion control, as well as being an attractive garden accent plant

Ornamental Features

Sand Cordgrass features showy spikes of brown flowers with coppery-bronze overtones at the ends of the stems from mid spring to mid fall. Its attractive recurved grassy leaves are dark green in color with curious light green undersides. The foliage often turns tan and in fall.

Landscape Attributes

Sand Cordgrass is a dense herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sand Cordgrass is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Sand Cordgrass will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Sand Cordgrass is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.