Feature: Great American Plants by the NRCS Plant Materials Program
In order to perform under tough coastal conditions, smooth cordgrass
must be resilient. 'Vermilion,' a selection made in 1989 by the Golden Meadows
(Galliano, Louisiana) Plant Materials Center and Louisiana State University, is
just that.
Smooth cordgrass is one of the dominant grasses found in many coastal salt
marshes in the U.S, and it has great value as stabilization and restoration plant.
It is a coarse-leaved perennial grass that spreads primarily by rhizomes (underground
stems). It
was originally collected in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, and was chosen from many
collections at the Plant Materials Center for its impressive ability to survive
transplanting, resist disease, and produce a large number of stems at a rapid rate.
It is adapted to the Gulf of Mexico coastal region, in plant hardiness zones 8-10.
Over the years, 'Vermilion' has been planted on over 325 acres of coastal marshland,
for an ecological benefit totaling $1 million.
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