Prairie Cordgrass

Spartina pectinata

The graceful arching foliage of Prairie Cordgrass cuts a fine figure in summer and then turns a bright gold in autumn. Found in moist prairies and wetlands this fast-growing native grass is excellent for stabilizing fresh soil around ponds, or …

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In stock
SKU
48880-03 / 28880
Plants 3" Pots
1-4 $7.99 ea.
5-10 $6.99 ea.
11-31 $5.99 ea.
32+ $4.99 ea.
Seeds 9,000 seeds/oz
Oz $25.00
1/4 Lb $75.00
1/2 Lb $135.00
Lb $225.00
Cultural Details
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Moisture Moist, Wet
Sun Exposure Full Sun
Height 6' - 8'
Bloom Color Green, Cream
Bloom Time Aug, Sep
Spacing 2'
Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Root Type Rhizome
Benefits Host Plant, Deer Resistant
Seeds per Oz 9000
Propagation Treatment Moist Stratification
Days to Moist Stratify 30 days
Direct Sowing Time Fall

The graceful arching foliage of Prairie Cordgrass cuts a fine figure in summer and then turns a bright gold in autumn. Found in moist prairies and wetlands this fast-growing native grass is excellent for stabilizing fresh soil around ponds, or streambanks in full sun. Install plants two feet on center, and apply a mulch or fabric between plants to prevent erosion during establishment. In two years the area will be a solid mat of Cordgrass that defies erosion.

It prefers wet soil, but Spartina pectinata does tolerate occasional dry conditions. The leaves, up to six feet tall, can reach eight feet when the grass blooms. This wetland grass provides ecosystem services for a variety of birds that eat its seeds, and a dense stand of Spartina offers nesting habitat for other inhabitants.

Prairie Cordgrass is a larval host plant for Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), and the Long-Streaked Tussock Moth (Leucanopsis longa).

Seeding Rates for a Solid Stand of Prairie Cordgrass
•  5 Oz. per 1000 square feet
•  12 Lb. per acre

Planting and Cultivation Notes
Seed is best planted in fall.