Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

sawgrass

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Cladium jamaicense

Family:

Cyperaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

grass

Size:

3-6 (10) ft tall by wide-spreading ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

green

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

evergreen

Noted For:

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Typically used in wetland restoration. Also useful for planting in brackish settings where an emergent aquatic is desired. Spreads rapidly to cover large areas.

Considerations:

Blades have sharp edges...hence the common name. Best planted where people will not brush by it.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Specialty Provider, Seed

Propagation:

Division, seed.

Light:

Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Stays wet ---to--- Somewhat moist, no flooding

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam, Lime Rock, Organic

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars

Larval host of the Palatka skipper ( Euphyes pilatka ).

Native Habitats:

Swamps, marshes, shores of water bodies, common in coastal marsh, glades, cypress prairie.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Sawgrass is a sedge, not a grass. It was this plant that Marjory Stoneman Douglas referred to in her seminal work: "The Everglades: River of Grass."



A second species (C. mariscoides) occurs in a limited area in north Florida.  Its uses and culture are similar.