Description: This perennial grass can form clumps and extensive mats in many areas, and can spread by rhizome or seed. It has rounded stems that can grow 30 cm - 1.3 m tall, and the roots are deep. It has tapering green to grey-green leaves that are 20 - 60 cm long. The flowers are yellow-green in colour and form on one side of the stem only.

Habitat: Sheltered areas on soft mud or shingle, especially intertidal mudflats and saltmarsh.

Distribution: Now found all around Britain and Ireland, especially prevalent in Strangford Lough where it was introduced to help with sediment stabilisation and accumulation in the 1940s.

Similar Species: Could be confused with the native Spartina maritima or Spartina alterniflora.

Key Identification Features:

• Cordgrass up to 1.3 m tall.
• Rounded stems and tapering leaves.
• Yellow green flowers on one side of stem.

Distribution Map from NBN: Spartina anglica at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Spartina anglica at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Spartina anglica

WoRMS: Spartina anglica at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Spartina anglica C.E. Hubbard. AphiaID: 234043.

Classification: Biota; Plantae; Viridiplantae; Streptophyta; Tracheophyta; Spermatophytina; Magnoliopsida; Lilianae; Poales; Poaceae; Spartina