|                    Marshhay cordgrass, Saltmeadow cordgrass
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                |                    Spartina patens  
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                |                    Poaceae 
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                 Landscape Uses:
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                 Accent groundcover in coastal areas. | 
               
                Ecological Restoration Notes:  | 
               
              
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                | Availability: | 
               
              
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                 Available at native plant nurseries in central and South Florida. | 
               
              
                | Description: | 
               
              
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                 Medium herbaceous grass, first clumping then spreading from rhizomes. | 
               
              
                | Height: | 
               
              
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                 Typically 2-3 feet in height; to 4 feet when in flower.  Ultimately spreading and forming large, open or dense patches. | 
               
              
                | Growth Rate: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate. | 
               
              
                | Range: | 
               
              
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                 Widespread in North America south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. | 
               
              
                | Habitats: | 
               
              
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                 Coastal marshes and beach dunes. | 
               
              
                | Soils: | 
               
              
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                 Wet to moist, moderately well-drained to poorly-drained brackish or saline soils, with or without organic or humusy top layer. | 
               
              
                | Nutritional Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Low to moderate; it can grow in nutrient poor soils or soils with some organic content. | 
               
              
                | Salt Water Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 High; tolerates flooding by salt water. | 
               
              
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Frontline; grows in direct salt wind but away from constant salt spray. | 
               
              
                | Drought Tolerance: | 
               
              
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                 Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established. | 
               
              
                | Light Requirements: | 
               
              
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                 Full sun. | 
               
              
                | Flower Color: | 
               
              
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                 Brownish inflorescence. | 
               
              
                | Flower Characteristics: | 
               
              
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                 Inconspicuous. | 
               
              
                | Flowering Season: | 
               
              
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                 Spring-fall; peak summer-fall. | 
               
              
                | Fruit: | 
               
              
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                 Inconspicuous light brown caryopsis. | 
               
              
                | Wildlife and Ecology: | 
               
              
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                | Horticultural Notes: | 
               
              
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                 Can be grown from seed and division. | 
               
              
                | Comments: | 
               
              
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