Saltmeadow Cordgrass (Spartina patens) As you drive the causeway out to Chincoteague, and again as you move along the Assateague road by Toms Cove (map), you're sure to notice the unpleasant odor of decaying cordgrass coming from the mud of the salt marshes. Saltmeadow cordgrass, the shorter, wiry-looking grass of the marshes, is usually found on the higher flats of the marsh flooded only by the high tides. Saltmeadow cordgrass serves as a nesting area for some of the marsh birds.

Return to Plants of the Bay-Side Saltmarsh Menu