Beach-grasses
What are they?
Beach-grasses are deep-rooted species that specialize in growing in coastal, wind-blown sand. They spread with an extensive network of underground rhizomes and form large colonies of stiff, wiry leaves and narrow flower spikes.
Where are they found?
Beach-grasses - as the name suggests - are plants of beaches, typically being found in deep sands above the highest storm tides.
Identification
There is just one species in the Cape May area, which is easily identified by its spreading matrix of underground rhizomes, carrying loose clusters of thin, wiry leaves.
Lyme-grass Elymus arenarius
Introduced from Europe. A salt-tolerant, coastal dune plant that is sometimes planted as a garden plant on the barrier islands and occasionally spreads to nearby dunes. Flowers August to September. The whole plant is startlingly blue-gray in color.
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American Beach-grass Ammophila breviligulata
A common, often dominant species of coastal sand dunes. Often planted for coastal erosion control as its underground root system stabilizes mobile sand dune systems. Flowers August to October. Leaves incurled at the margins, the inner (top) side strongly ridged and grooved. Flower spikes long, narrow and upright, with densely-packed flowers.
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Purple Sand-grass Triplasis purpurea
A common grass of sandy beaches and low dunes, forming low, spreading mats with spear-like stem tips. Flowers August to September.
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