Native Plants of Coastal Louisiana Introduction: Acknowledgements: Funding for this guide was administered by The purpose of this guide is to help users the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identify common native plants of Louisiana’s Environmental Justice Program. Suggestions Coastal Zone. This guide does not include for improving this guide should be addressed all plants found on our barrier islands, along to the Bayou Land RC&D Program Director, our beaches or within our coastal marshes. Jennifer Roberts, Bayou Land RC&D, P.O. Box Rather this guide provides a cursory 6281, Metairie, LA 70009-6281. introduction to common native species that are adapted for life along our dynamic coast. The authors would like to thank Allen Native These plants provide valuable habitat to Ventures, the USDA – Natural Resources coastal and estuarine communities and play a Conservation Service (NRCS), the Crescent critical role in shoreline stabilization. Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), This guide and companion course have been the Lafourche Terrebonne Soil and Water developed and designed to serve as a tool Conservation District, the Plaquemines Soil for local communities. By equipping local and Water Conservation District, and the community members with the knowledge NRCS Plant Materials Program for their and understanding of our coastal plant guidance and input in developing this Native communities that may have been affected by Coastal Plant Guide as well as for their the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. This effort assistance in the development and delivery of is the first in a series of initiatives aimed the initial series of coastal plant identification at building a collaborative, open-access, workshops. The preparation of this manual community-driven resilience campaign that would not have been possible without will offer citizens a means to take an active significant contributions from the many role in the recovery of the Gulf coastline. individuals who were involved. USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Partner Contacts: Service (NRCS) NRCS works with landowners through Bayou Land Resource Conservation & conservation planning and assistance to Development (RC&D) Council benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animals Bayou Land Resource Conservation & for productive lands and healthy ecosystems. Development Council (Bayou Land RC&D) Working at the local level—in field offices (www.bayoulandrcd.org) is an all volunteer at USDA Service Centers in nearly every member based 501 (c) (3) non-profit that county in the Nation—NRCS employees’ understanding of local resource concerns and focuses on natural resource conservation challenges result in conservation solutions that and community development with the goal last. Seventy percent of the land in the United of building resilient communities in healthy States is privately owned, making stewardship environments in eight southeast Louisiana by private landowners absolutely critical to the Parishes (Jefferson, Orleans, St. Charles, St. health of our nation’s environment. Bernard, Plaquemines, Lafourche, Terrebonne, NRCS succeeds through partnerships, and St. John the Baptist). working closely with individual farmers and ranchers, landowners, local conservation Jennifer Roberts districts, government agencies, Tribes, Earth Program Director Team volunteers and many other people Bayou Land RC&D and groups that care about the quality of PO Box 6281, Metairie, LA 70009-6281 America’s natural resources. (985) 373-0377 [email protected] Mr. John Boatman www.bayoulandrcd.org District Conservationist USDA–NRCS Crescent/Plaquemines District Field Office Gary Fine 14246 US Highway 90, Boutte, LA 70039 Vegetative Specialist (985) 758-2162 ext.3 Bayou Land RC&D [email protected] PO Box 6281, Metairie, LA 70009-6281 (985) 373-0377 Ms. Mandy York [email protected] District Conservationist www.bayoulandrcd.org USDA–NRCS Lafourche/Terrebone SWCD Field Office 143 Laura Drive, Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 447-3871 ext.3 [email protected] NRCS Plant Materials Program: Staff Contact: Morris Houck The purpose of the program is to provide State Plant Materials Specialist native plants and plant related technology Phone: (318) 473-7761 that can help solve natural resource Scott D. Edwards problems. Beneficial uses for which plant State Resource Conservationist material may be developed include coastal Phone: (318) 473-7774 shoreline and dune stabilization, biomass production, carbon sequestration, erosion Garret Thomassie Golden Meadow Plant Materials Center reduction, wetland restoration, water quality 438 Airport Road improvement, stream bank and riparian area Galliano, LA 70354 protection, and other special conservation 985-475-5280 [email protected] treatment needs. Three plant materials centers (Golden Meadow, East Texas, and Jamie L. Whitten) Photography: provide assistance to the state of Louisiana. We gratefully acknowledge the following Each center serves an area within the state contributors who allowed their photographs of Louisiana that represents unique land to be published in this booklet: resource areas. Gary Fine Vegetative Specialist To learn more about the Plant Materials Bayou Land RC&D Program nationwide, visit the National Metairie, LA Plant Materials Program website Larry Allain@USGS http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov. National Wetlands Research Center Lafayette, LA James VanKley, Ph.D Stephen F. Austin State University Nacodogdoches, TX Coastal Plants of Louisiana Backdune to Barrier Flat: • MARSHHAY CORDGRASS (Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl.) Beach: (wrack line to Foredune) • BITTER PANICUM (Panicum amarum Ell.) • MARSHHAY CORDGRASS • ROSEAU CANE (Phragmites austrailis (Cav.) (Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl.) Trin ex Steud) • SEA BLIGHT (Suaeda linearis (Ell.) Moq.) • LEAFY THREE-SQUARE (Schoenoplectus robustus (Pursh) M. T. Strong) • GREG’S AMARANTH (Amaranthus greggii ) • GULF BLUESTEM (Schizachyrium • CAMPHOR DAISY maritimum (Chapman) Nash) (Rayjacksonia phyllocephala) • SALTMARSH FIMBRISTYLIS (Fimbristylis • SEASIDE PURSLANE castenea (Michx.) Vahl) (Sesuvium portulacastrum) • SEASIDE GOLDENROD (Solidago • AMERICAN SEA ROCKET (Cakile endentula) sempervirens) • GULF SEA ROCKET (Cakile geniculate) • GULF Cordgrass (Spartina spartinae • COASTAL SEA ROCKET (Cakile lanceolata) (Trin.) merr. ex Hitchc.) Dune: Back Bay Flat to Intertidal: • BITTER PANICUM (Panicum amarum Ell.) • MARSHHAY CORDGRASS (Spartina patens • MARSHHAY CORDGRASS (Ait.) Muhl.) (Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl.) • SMOOTH CORDGRASS (Spartina • COASTAL DROPSEED alterniflora) (Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth) • SALTGRASS (Distichlis spicata (L.) Green) • SEA OATS (Uniola paniculata) • SEASHORE PASPALUM (Paspalum • RAILROAD VINE (Ipomea pes caprae) vaginatum) • BEACH MORNING-GLORY • BLACK MANGROVE (Avencinnia germans (Ipomea imperati) (L.) L.) • BEACH CROTON (Croton punctatus Jacq.) • BLACK RUSH (Juncus roemerianus Scheele) • SALTWART (Batis maritima L) Marshhay Cordgrass Spartina patens (Aiton) Muhl. Colloquial Names: Wiregrass, Salt Meadow Cordgrass, Paille a Chat Tigre Family: Poaceae Growth Habit: Grass (Graminoid) Duration: Perennial Wetland Indicator Status: FACW Height: Erect to 4 ft. (1.2 m) Habitat: Marshhay • Grows in all marsh types but dominant in intermediate and brackish marshes Cordgrass • Sandy beaches of coastal shores and barrier islands, low dunes to back bay marsh • Tidal flats, marsh ridge and cheniere, and high salt marsh borders Plant Characteristics: • Dark green wirelike, hollow, stiff stems emerging from rhizomes • Leaf blades are long and slender (linear) less than 0.5 inches wide and up to 1.5 inches long • Leaf blades shiny dark green on upper surface and rough with prominent veins on the lower surface • Leaves are drooping and wiry in appearance • Long slender pale whitish to reddish rhizomes Reproduction: Sexual (flowering June to Marshhay October), and asexual from rhizomes Cordgrass Beach: (wrack line to Foredune) Sea Blight Suaeda linearis (Ell.) Moq. Colloquial Name: Annual Seepweed Growth Habit: Subshrub Plant Characteristics: • Alternately arranged, fleshy linear leaves (up to 2 inches long) • Upper leaves reduced in size • Small green flowers on terminal spike Habitat: • Beaches • Foredunes Duration: Annual Sea Blight Height: up to 32 inches Sea Blight Reproduction: Flowers August to November Sea Blight Beach: (wrack line to Foredune) Greg’s Amaranth Amaranthus Greggii Colloquial Name: Coastal Pigweed Greg’s Amaranth Growth Habit: Forb/Herb Plant Characteristics: • Bright green, shrubby, pioneer herb • Somewhat rounded leaves with thick veins beneath • Male and female flowers are on separate plants and can be found on long spikes Habitat: Backshore near coastal dunes, windward slopes of dunes Duration: Annual Height: 1 to 3 ft. Greg’s Amaranth Greg’s Amaranth Beach: (wrack line to Foredune) Camphor Daisy Rayjacksonia phyllocephala Colloquial Name: none Growth Habit: Forb/Herb Plant Characteristics: Yellow flowers bloom Habitat: Camphor Daisy grows on: • Beaches • Foredunes Duration: Annual Height: 1 to 3 ft. tall Reproduction: Vegetative (from container grown or bare root plant material) Camphor Daisy Camphor Daisy Beach: (wrack line to Foredune) Seaside Purslane Sesuvium portulacastrum Colloquial Name: Sea Purslane, Sea Pickle Growth Habit: Herb; Vine Plant Characteristics: • Smooth, fleshy, glossy green leaves that are linear Seaside Purslane • Stems trailing, much-branched, sometimes forming patches 2 yards across • Seeds are black, smooth and