Living in the Dunes
In partnership with
NORTH CHAPTER
photo by Scott Namestnik
Species Present and Native
Flowers: dense, spike-like clusters up to 25 cm (10 in) long and held above the leaves.
Leaves: are 91 cm (3 ft) long and 84 cm (.33 in) wide. They are rigid and rolled. The upper surface is pale green and the underside is shiny, green.
Fruits: Pale green clusters form in summer and become beige in fruit, persisting into winter.
Sun: Full sun
Ideal conditions: dry sand, especially on the foredune
Marram grass
Ammophila breviligulata Fern.
Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
Duration: Perennial
Height: 60-152 cm (2-5 ft)
Blooming: July-Sept.
photo by Nathanael Pilla
Comments: Common along the Atlantic Coast, marram grass is a treat in Indiana beeches stabilizing and forming new dunes. Marram grass is threatened by the introduced, ornamental lyme grass. They differ in that lyme grass has a distinct blue-green color whereas marram grass is completely green.
Etymology: The genus name comes from the Greek word, ámmos, which means "sand" and, philos, which means "friend of" or "fond of". The epithet is derived from the two words brevi- which means "short" and ligulata meaning "tongue form" referring to its ligule.
SOURCES & FURTHER RESOURCES: