the South Atlantic and gulf coasts; sea oats on the South Atlantic and 

 gulf coasts; salt-meadow cordgrass (Spartina patens) on the South Atlantic 

 and gulf coasts. 



These plants are used because they multiply dependably and economi- 

 cally, can be readily harvested, transported, stored, and planted. The 

 plants thrive in blowing sand, trap sand well, and are relatively free 

 of serious pests. These plants live from one year to the next, providing 

 year-roiond protection to the sand surface. 



There are other plants that invade the pioneer zone and contribute 

 substantially to the process in each geographical region. None are 

 widely planted for initial stabilization because they fail to meet one 

 or more of the above criteria. There are many plants that, given extra 

 care, will grow in the pioneer zone for ornamental or other specialized 

 purposes. Some of these may find wider use as more is known about their 

 requirements. A few species, such as the omnipresent sea rocket {Cakile 

 sp.), may precede the dune grasses into the pioneer zone, but are capable 

 of building only embryonic dunes. These species give other plants a 

 chance to build more substantial dunes by temporarily trapping sand, 

 seeds, and debris. 



(1) American Beachgrass . A cool season dune grass native to 

 the North and mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes coasts, and probably the most 

 widely used species for initial stilling of blowing sand. It is almost 

 the only species planted for this purpose along the Atlantic coast south 

 to the Carolinas and around the Great Lakes. Limited use has been made 

 of this grass in the Pacific Northwest. American beachgrass is a vig- 

 orous, erect grass which grows in dense clumps and is capable of rapid 

 lateral spread by rhizomes. It can usually be recognized in the fruiting 

 stage by the dense, cylindrical spikes or seed heads (Figs. 14 and 15). 

 There are two varieties of American beachgrass: Cape, a vigorous coarse- 

 stemmed type adapted to the North Atlantic coast; and Hatteras, a fine- 

 leaf type selected for early vigor on the coasts of the Carolinas. 

 Characteristics of American beachgrass are: 



(a) Easy to multiply vegetatively (fiftyfold increase per 

 year is possible), and readily available commercially. 



(b) Easy to harvest, store, and transplant manually or by 

 machine. 



(c) Long transplanting season with good survival rate 

 (normally 90 percent) . 



(d) Grows rapidly and becomes an effective sand trapper 

 by middle of the first growing season. 



(e) A cool weather grower that starts growth in early 

 spring and, where conditions are favorable, continues well 

 into the fall. 



30 



