This Weed Changed Coastal Ecosystems Forever—Here’s What It Was Hiding

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

This Weed Changed Coastal Ecosystems Forever — Here’s What It Was Hiding Coastal ecosystems are delicate balances, where native plants and wildlife maintain intricate interdependencies. Yet, some invasive species have quietly — and dramatically — altered these environments. One such plant, often underestimated at first glance, has rewritten the rules of survival in sensitive coastal zones. Known as Spartina alterniflora, commonly called smooth cordgrass, this hardy weed changed coastal ecosystems forever — not by force, but by what it hid. The Quiet Invader: Understanding Spartina Alterniflora Native to North America’s Atlantic coast, Spartina alterniflora is a fast-growing perennial grass that thrives in brackish marshlands. Intentionally introduced in the late 1800s for erosion control and salt marsh restoration, its deep rhizome network quickly took hold beyond managed areas. Though initially praised for stabilizing shorelines, its success soon revealed a hidden cost.