Description

Panicum amarum, Coastal Panicgrass, Beachgrass, Native Grasses, Perennial Grass Plugs

Botanic Name (s):     Panicum amarum

Common Name(s):    Coastal panic grass, beach grass, bitter panicgrass

Mature height :1-3′

Mature spread:1-3′

Bloom Time:August -October   Silver-blue foliage turns reddish in Fall

Sun Exposure:  Full Sun

Soil moisture:    Dry   Average    Moist

Soil Ph:5-7.5

Soil Type:

Loamy Soil- mostly silt, sand, some clay

Sandy soil, coarse texture

Native Habitat:       sandy coastal shores and dunes

Notes:              prostrate form

Erosion Control

High Wildlife Value:      Songbirds      Game Birds          Small Mammals            Waterfowl

FACU – Usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands

Native to Coastal Regions

Threatened / Endangered:       Connecticut, Rhode Island

Native Grass

Panicum amarum, Coastal Panicgrass, Beachgrass, Native Grasses, Perennial Grass Plugs

It naturalizes easily in the landscape or makes a great addition to a rain garden, or border. It is low water use, low maintenance plant that tolerates dry soils, drought, and air pollution. This grass is also highly salt tolerant. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems.

Conservation Uses
Coastal panicgrass plays an important role in stabilizing
wind-blown sand and creating new dune systems in beach
replenishment projects. It can also be used for critical area
plantings in mine or gravel reclamation sites or in areas
with hot, dry, or infertile soils. Because it a robust
biomass producer with upright growth, it has also been
used successfully as a windbreak. ‘Atlantic’ coastal
panicgrass is very resilient, has good salt-tolerance, and
will remain standing through the winter; thus providing
wind erosion protection and cover for wildlife. Its seed is
eaten by doves and quails.
Coastal panicgrass provides fair palatable graze and
protein content and can be used in grazing land
improvement. A study by (Mehaffey et al., 2005) found a
CP level of 140 g kg-1; which is considered an adequate
level for beef production.
Area of Adaptation and Use
‘Atlantic’ is best adapted to the mid-Atlantic Coastal
Plain and the piedmont region from Massachusetts to
Texas. It is recommended for use along the coast from
Massachusetts south to North Carolina. It is winter-hardy
in areas where the average low temperature is 10‒0
degrees F. It grows successfully in southern Connecticut,
but winterkills every three or four years in Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. Locations further north and inland from
Massachusetts are susceptible to winterkill.

See all available native Grasses.