English Cordgrass

English Cordgrass (Spartina anglica)

Report

Photo credit: Garry Williams

Management Strategy

Synonyms

English cordgrass is also known as common cordgrass.

ID Characteristics

General: English cordgrass is a perennial grass from the Poaeceae family.

Flowers: Flowers are arranged in numerous, upright clusters, which consist of closely overlapping spikelets. The flowers are inconspicuous, colourless, and resemble wheat. They only grow on one side of the stem.

Stems: English cordgrass stems are hollow and appear stout and reddish. They grow up to 1 m tall and approximately 5 mm wide at the base.

Leaves: Greyish-green blades grow at a distinctive 45 to 90-degree angle to the stems, in an alternate arrangement. The leaves are 5 – 40 cm long. Fine, straight hairs grow at the junction of the leaf and leafstalk.

Seeds: Though seed production is variable, English cordgrass can produce seedheads that are 12 – 40 cm long and end in a bristle up to 5 cm long.

Roots: English cordgrass has a dense root system.

Similar Species

Overall, English cordgrass can be distinguished by its leaf blades that grow at a 45 to 90-degree angle and fine hairs that grow at the juncture of the leaf and the leafstalk.

Invasive

Saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens)
Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)
Dense-Flowered cordgrass (Spartina densiflora)

English cordgrass can be extremely challenging to distinguish from other grass species. Accordingly, we recommend the use of a detailed key for positive identification (please refer to the references section for more links).

Native

Seaside arrow-grass (Triglochin maritima) has small purple flowers that are clustered along the length of the flowering stem.

Photo credits: Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org

American dunegrass (Leymus mollis, L. arenarius) has thick rhizomes (fleshy roots) and its leaves are slightly hairy on top. Its flowers are also a greenish yellow tone, rather than a reddish one for English cordgrass

Photo credit: Nisa Karimi, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bugwood.org

Seashore saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) has rhizomes (fleshy roots) and is shorter (10 – 40 cm).
Seaside plantain (Plantago maritima) is shorter (up to 25 cm tall).

Habitat and Origin

English cordgrass is a hybrid species of small cordgrass (Spartina maritima) and smooth cordgrass (S. alterniflora). It originated in England and was cultivated to stabilize banks.

English cordgrass is very adaptable to a variety of growing conditions, from salt marshes to mud flats in the intertidal zone. This species can tolerate various environmental conditions, such as temporary inundation. It can grow in a variety of soils including clays, fine silts, organic muds, sands and shingle.

How it Spreads

English cordgrass spreads by reproductive roots, rhizomes, and seeds.

English cordgrass root fragments and seeds spread primarily by tidal currents, but can also be dispersed by birds, ballast water, dredging, aquaculture and intentional planting for erosion control.