Grasses

Muhly Grass- Otherwise known as hairgrass, Muhly grows to be about 3 feet tall and is mostly used as ground cover. It grows in full sun and sprouts a beautiful purple flower during the fall and winter when most other flowering plants are dormant. Muhly grass serves as a refuge and shelter for some small animals and the seeds provide a tasty snack for smaller birds.

Fakahatchee Grass- Fakahatchee Grass, or Eastern Gamagrass, is a large accent grass that ordinarily grows to about 3-4 feet and closer to 6ft when it flowers in the spring and fall. It grows best in moist areas with full sun or light shade. It works great as a background for flower gardens and is a host plant for clouded skipper and three-spotted skipper butterflies while providing seeds and insects for small birds.

Coastal Love Grass- Also known as Elliot’s Lovegrass, coastal lovegrass grows to about 1-3ft tall and 1-2ft wide. It grows best in full sun in either loam or sand. Small birds and wildlife enjoy its seeds and it works best in wildflower gardens.

Spartina Bakeri- This grass, otherwise known as Sand Cordgrass, grows to be about 3-4ft in height and is generally as broad as it is tall. It grows best in sandy soils with full sun. It makes for lovely groundcover and border grass, particularly near ponds and other water features. It can grow near salt water so long as there are other plants around to help protect it from direct salt spray.

Spartina Patens- Spartina Patens is a cordgrass that grows best along the coastline in sand and direct sunlight. Its most common use is as a stabilizer for the shorelines and has a considerable resistance to hurricane winds. Birds and other small animals eat the seeds. They grow in tight clusters and although they generally only grow 1-3ft tall on the beaches, if grown in a freshwater environment they can grow larger.

Wiregrass- Although it is not typically used in landscaping, wiregrass’s 1-2ft frame is great groundcover for those seeking a naturalistic landscape or a base plant for a wildflower garden. It grows best with sandy soil and full sun while attracting important pollinators and birds. What makes this grass unique is that in order for it to successfully flower and produce seeds it must be burned in the early season.