American Beachgrass

Ammophila breviligulata

American Beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) is a common sand dune plant in the Atlantic Coast from New Brunswick to Virginia. It is a hardy, salt-tolerant grass with narrow and pointed blades, growing in clumps of tufts that can reach up to two feet tall. Its rhizomes extend deep into sandy substrate and anchor the sand against the wind and waves. Beachgrass is an important stabilizer of coastal sand dunes and provides shelter and nesting ground for shorebirds, making it an important part of coastal ecosystems. Its flowering time is from July to August, bearing spikelets of egg-shaped terminal heads that contain brown grains.