Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata)

Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata)

Prairie Cordgrass is the tall, arching native grass of Louisiana’s wet prairies and marsh margins — a robust, rhizomatous grass that can reach 7 feet tall, with long, arching leaves that catch the wind in dramatic waves and golden fall color that transforms the wet prairie landscape. It is one of the most important grasses for wetland restoration, erosion control, and wildlife habitat in the Gulf South.

Botanical Profile

• Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
• Native Range: North America from Quebec to Texas; native to Louisiana wet prairies, marsh margins, and bayou edges
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
• Mature Size: 4–7 feet tall; spreads by rhizomes
• Bloom Time: July–September
• Sun: Full sun
• Soil: Wet to moist; tolerates standing water, clay, and periodic flooding; excellent for rain gardens and pond margins

Ecological Role

Prairie Cordgrass provides critical nesting cover for marsh wrens, red-winged blackbirds, and sedge wrens. Its seeds are consumed by waterfowl and sparrows. Its dense rhizome mats stabilize wet slopes and bayou banks, preventing erosion in saturated soils. It is one of the most important grasses for freshwater wetland restoration in North America.

In the Cajun Prairie Garden

Part of the Prairie Movement Strip collection at Big Mamou Enterprises, Prairie Cordgrass is a grass of extraordinary ecological value and dramatic visual presence — the tall, wind-swept signature of the Louisiana wet prairie.