Ammophila breviligulata (Marram Grass, American Beach Grass)
Ammophila breviligulata (Marram Grass, American Beach Grass)
Couldn't load pickup availability
What plant is the best to stabilize coastal sandy beaches and shorelines? Likely Ammophila breviligulata is the best plant to stabilize eroding beaches, at least when in its native range and habitat as it grows where no other plant can.
American Beach Grass is the dominant native grass along the sandy beaches and dunes of Lake Michigan and the Atlantic Ocean coast. Its long, narrow inflorescences are iconic along the beaches and dunes where it grows. Marram Grass (its other common name) requires very unique conditions to thrive, very sandy unstable soils, typically full sun, and normal to dry soil conditions. It is also critical for threatened coastal habitats, some bird species use it for nesting and cover along the shoreline.
Ammophila breviligulata is the key species for dune and beach stabilization. Ammophila breviligulata pioneers unstable and partially stable foredunes, allowing additional plant species to colonize, further stabilizing the site. American Beach Grass does this by spreading through root rhizomes, spreading further and further each year in very tough conditions, stabilizing an area over time. This useful plant can be used to provide critical coastal habitat and to stabilize a property when erosion is an issue.
Increasingly irregular weather patterns due to climate change have led to coastal instability and erosion. Highly fluctuating great lakes levels, increased frequency and intensity of inland and tropical storms, and hurricanes have led to critical instability of coastal properties and wildlife sanctuaries. American Beach Grass has come to the rescue time and time again in stabilizing these critical areas. It remains one of the primary ways to stabilize coastal areas by aggregating soils rather than losing them. In extreme cases, it likely will need to be paired with some sort of engineered hard armament to alleviate erosion issues.
This plant is typically provided by bare root stock and is harvested only at optimal times of the year to make sure your planting has the best chance at success. Please see the notes below in red for further details.
Planting Recommendations:
Planting time: The best time to plant marram grass is in the fall, from September to October. However, it can also be planted in the spring, from March to May.Site preparation: Choose a site that receives full sun and has well-drained sandy soil. The soil pH should be between 5.5 and 6.5. If the soil is not well-drained, amend it with sand or gravel.
Planting depth: Plant the marram grass roots 10 inches or more deep. This will help the grass survive dry summers.
Spacing: Space the marram grass plants 6 to 18 inches apart. See spacing recommendations below.
Watering: Water the marram grass regularly after planting, and ensure the planting area remains moist during the first year. Once the grass is established, it is more drought-tolerant.
Fertilizer: We do not normally recommend fertilizing plants, however, we do in this case due to the stabilization demands of this plant. Fertilizer is important for good growth of marram grass in the Midwest. Follow all fertilizer label instructions. Apply fertilizer 30 days after planting, but no earlier than April 1. Use a granular fertilizer high in nitrogen, such as 30-10-0, 16-8-8, or 10-10-10. Split the fertilizer applications into three: one in the spring, one in early summer, and one in late summer. Do not apply more than 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in a single application.
Here are some additional tips for fertilizing marram grass in the Midwest:
- Test the soil before fertilizing to determine the nutrient levels.
- Water the plants well before and after fertilizing.
- Avoid fertilizing during hot, dry weather.
- Be careful not to over-fertilize, as this can damage the plants.
Weed control: Keep the area around the marram grass free of weeds.
Additional tips:
- Water plugs and dunk bare roots in water before planting.
- If the area is prone to flooding, you may need to raise the planting bed or implement erosion control measures.
- Be patient! It takes time for marram grass to establish itself.
Spacing recommendations
- 6" on center for highly erodible beaches and slopes
- 8" on center for moderately erodible slopes
- 12" on center for low erosion potential and/or flatter areas
- 18" on center for very low erosion potential
If you are wholesale, please send a quote request and we will happily provide pricing.
The bare root stock will only ship at only two times per year depending on weather and plant phenology. When ordered, bare-root Ammophila breviligulata (Marram Grass) will ship at the next available shipping window, see the shipping windows below.
Bare Root Minimum Order is 250
Shipping Windows: Bare Root:
- Spring - Approximately March through early April
- Fall - Approximately October through early November
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Purchase From Natural Communities Native Plants?
What Native Plants Should I Buy?
What Can I Expect: Shipping/Free Local Pick Up?
Photo 1: By Halley (originally posted to Flickr as Beach Grass) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Ask a Question-
When Do the bare root Ammophila breviligulata (Marram Grass) 50 pack typically ship?
Typically Bare Root plants are best harvested and planted in October, which is when they usually ship, depending on the season. We sometimes have extra inventory for wholesale customers in refrigerators that can be shipped out of season, but that is by special request only. Please let me know if I can answer anything else. Thanks!!
-
I live by the seaside in Nova Scotia Canada and to protect my sand dune approx 1000 sq ft I would like to purchase beach grass plant to Help repair and replace my beach grass as a result of hurricane Fiona. Is it better to purchase the Bare root plants or the Plug flats and how much would I need?
Hello, Each has their place, with bare root being used for large scale restoration due to them being less expensive and the plugs being better to use for quicker establishment in key locations. Oftentimes the bare roots have more frequent availability. Both have good survivorship however the plugs are quite better and will establish more quickly with proper care.
Unfortunately we can not ship across the border so we will not be able to help on your specific project. I am sorry about that.
Shipping & Care
Shipping & Care
We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.
As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.
Choices to Receive Your Plants & Accessories
- Retail - We only offer shipping & shipping is calculated at check out*
- We do not offer retail pick up
- Wholesale - Delivery is customized based on order size and location
- Wholesale - Pickup is free
Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready
We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.
Wholesale Orders
- Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.
Retail & Website Orders
- Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
- Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
- Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
- If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months.
- Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
- Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
- If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready. In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments
- Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability. We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish. If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date. If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
- Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
- Apparel & accessories are ready typically within one to two weeks. See product page for holiday shipping.
Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
- Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Shipments
- Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
- Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
- Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
- Water your plants
- Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
- If you cannot install your plants immediately
- Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
