| Saw-grass, Jamaica swamp sawgrass
|
| Cladium jamaicense
|
| Cyperaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
The dominant species of much of the Everglades. Also present in a number of other wetland ecosystems including wet pinelands. |
| Availability: |
|
Available at native plant nurseries in central and South Florida. |
| Description: |
| |
Large herbaceous sedge with saw-toothes leaf margins. |
| Height: |
| |
Typically 3-6 feet in height; to 10 feet when in flower. Clonal and sometimes spreading and forming large patches. |
| Growth Rate: |
| |
Moderate. |
| Range: |
| |
Southern United States west to New Mexico and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. |
| Habitats: |
| |
Marshes, wet prairies and wet pinelands. |
| Soils: |
| |
Wet, seasonally inundated freshwater to brackish soils on a variety of substrates. |
| Nutritional Requirements: |
| |
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. |
| Salt Water Tolerance: |
| |
Low to moderate; may tolerate some brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water. |
| Salt Wind Tolerance: |
| |
Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |
| Drought Tolerance: |
| |
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought. |
| Light Requirements: |
| |
Full sun to light shade. |
| Flower Color: |
| |
Brown inflorescence. |
| Flower Characteristics: |
| |
Semi-showy inflorescence. |
| Flowering Season: |
| |
Summer-fall. |
| Fruit: |
| |
Inconspicuous achene. |
| Wildlife and Ecology: |
| |
This is the dominant species of the Everglades marsh, especially in the Shark River Slough. Larval host plant for Palatka skipper (Euphyes pilatka) butterflies. |
| Horticultural Notes: |
| |
Can be grown from seed. |
| Comments: |
| |
Sawgrass is aptly named as the edges of the leaves are armed with tiny, sawlike prickles. Technically it is not a grass, but a sedge. |
|
|
|
James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
|
|
|