Spartina Is Illegal—Learn How This Tiny Plant Is Running Your Shoreline Wild

Sat, 02 May 2026 15:12:47 +0000

Spartina Is Illegal: How This Tiny Shoreline Invader Is Disrupting America’s Coastal Ecosystems While nature’s smallest organisms often go unnoticed, some of the most disruptive forces shaping our shorelines are remarkably tiny—like Spartina alterniflora, a seemingly unassuming grass now classified as illegal in many U.S. states. What begins as a hardy, fast-growing plant can quickly become a relentless invader, transforming wild, balanced ecosystems into monocultures that threaten biodiversity, destroy habitats, and imperil coastal resilience. ### What Is Spartina? Spartina alterniflora, commonly known as smooth cordgrass, is a native wetland plant to the Atlantic coast and Gulf Coast of North America. When introduced beyond its native range—often through human activity like shipping, aquaculture, or ornamental planting—it becomes an invasive species. In places such as California, Oregon, Washington, and parts of the U.S. Southeast, non-native Spartina spreads aggressively, outcompeting native vegetation and altering shoreline dynamics.