Inland Saltgrass
Distichlis spicata
Care
full sun
very low
Fast, Medium, Slow, Standing; Adaptable. Grows well in both coastal sand and heavy alkali clay. Tolerates saline soil.,Tolerates sodic soil..
1–2ft tall
Jun-Aug
Friendly
Alkali flats, salt marshes, and saline wetlands throughout interior and coastal California from sea level to 5,000 ft elevation, extending to Mexico and across western North America
Care Guide
Planting
Plant your saltgrass in late spring using plugs or rhizomes spaced one foot apart. It tolerates a wide range of soils - sandy coastal soil, heavy clay, saline, and even alkali conditions - so don't worry about amending. Full sun is essential. While saltgrass handles standing water, medium, and fast drainage equally well, the key is getting it in the ground at the right time of year to establish before summer.
After Planting
Water regularly to keep the soil moist through your first summer, then gradually reduce frequency as the plant establishes - it's built for very low water once settled in. Saltgrass spreads via rhizomes into dense mats that handle foot traffic, so it requires minimal pruning. Year one is about establishment; by year two, you'll see it filling in. The #1 mistake is overwatering after the first season - this is a plant that evolved to thrive in harsh, dry, salty places, so once established, it actively prefers drier conditions.
Endangered & Threatened Species Supported
California Endangered Species Act listed
Alkali habitat specialist, declining populations
California Species of Special Concern
Wildlife Supported
Birds
Critical year-round food in saline and alkaline wetlands where this species specializes
Year-round resident and winter visitor to California wetlands
Primary winter waterfowl food resource in California wetlands and coastal marshes
Important winter staging food during migration through California Central Valley and coastal areas
Winter waterfowl utilizing coastal and inland saline marshes
Winter visitor to California wetlands, feeds on submerged vegetation
Insects
Primary larval host in alkali wetlands and saline habitats of California interior valleys
Larval host plant for endemic California moth species in alkaline areas
Larval host plant for endemic California butterfly species in coastal dunes and salt marshes
Larval host plant for salt marsh specialist butterfly
Parasitic plant that feeds on Distichlis in saline wetlands
Arachnids
Hunting habitat and structural support for web-building spider in salt marsh vegetation
Mammals
Grazes on salt grass in coastal bluff scrub and saline habitats