English Cordgrass

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

Flowers: English cordgrass forms numerous, upright flower 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: Hollow, stout, and reddish. Stems grow up to 1.3 m tall and are approximately 5 mm wide at the base.

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

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

Roots: Dense, rhizomatous root system.

English cordgrass is a hybrid species of small cordgrass (S. maritima) and smooth cordgrass (S. alterniflora). It originated from England and was cultivated to stabilize banks. It was first discovered in British Columbia in 2003.

English cordgrass is adaptable to a variety of growing conditions, from salt marshes to mud flats in the intertidal zone. This species can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, including temporary flooding. English cordgrass can grow in a variety of soils, including clays, fine silts, organic muds, sands, and shingle; it is also salt-tolerant.

Ecological: 

• Significantly decreases habitat and nursery grounds for birds and fish.
• Alters the hydrology of an area and disrupts tidal drainage patterns.
• Its presence leads to high sediment accumulation, which can alter mud-flat pH and porosity in the area.

Economic:

• Impacts coastal-based industries, such as tourism.